Current Affairs Weekly PDF

Current Affairs Weekly PDF – November First Week (1-8)

INDIAN AFFAIRS

• Union Cabinet has given its approval for introduction of a Bill in Parliament namely the National Council for
Teacher Education (Amendment) Act, 2017, to amend the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993.
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given ex-post facto approval for implementation of Special
Banking Arrangement (SBA) for Rs. 10,000 crore for payment of outstanding claims on account of fertilizer
subsidy in the year 2016-17.
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the continuation of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
(RKVY) as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector
Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for three years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20.The financial allocation of this
scheme is Rs. 15,722 crore.
• Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing and ratifying an agreement between India and Armenia on
cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters.
• Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the trade agreement between India and Ethiopia for
strengthening and promoting trade and economic co-operation.
• Union Cabinet has approved the sale of government’s entire 73.47 percent stake in Dredging Corporation of
India.
• The 9th edition of ‘CMS Vatavaran’, a global film festival on environment and wildlife, will begin on
November 2, 2017 in New Delhi.Theme of CMS Vatavaran is “Conservation 4 Water”.
• On November 1, 2017, Union Ministry of Finance increased the maximum age of joining the National
Pension System (NPS) from the existing 60 years to 65 years. They will have an option of normal exit from
NPS after completion of three years.
• Central Government has earmarked Rs 109 crores to promote heritage and spiritual tourism projects under
‘Swadesh Darshan’ Scheme in Puducherry.
• On October 30, 2017, Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA)approved Maharashtra
State government’s application to increase the height of the proposed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
(off the coast of Mumbai) from the earlier 192 metres to 210 metres.
• On 31st October 2017, the Haryana government announced lifetime monthly pension of Rs 10,000 for Hindi
Satyagrahis and few more assistances.
• Karnataka’s Mudhol Hound, an Indian dog breed, is being trained to serve in the Indian Army, making it the
First Indian Dog Breed to be trained for Army Duty.
• On 1st November 2017, the Civil Aviation Ministry released draft norms for the unmanned aircraft systems
that stated that, drones for civilian use will require a Unique Identification Number and Radio Frequency tags.
• On November 3, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘World Food India’ 2017 in New
Delhi.India is hosting World Food Fair for the first time.
• On November 2, 2017, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the 21st World Congress of Mental
Health in New Delhi.
• India has made an offer to 10 Indian Ocean littoral States to share intelligence of maritime movements in the
Indian Ocean on real-time basis.
• On 2nd November 2017, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways notified that, all four-wheel motor
vehicles sold on or after 1st December, 2017, will have FASTags fitted on them by the manufacturer of the
vehicle or its authorised dealer.
• NITI Aayog has said in a presentation that, the foundation for freedom from six problems namely poverty,
dirt, corruption, terrorism, casteism and communalism will be laid by 2022 when India celebrates 75 years of
Independence.
• On 4th and 5th November 2017, the 1st Heli Expo India and International Civil Helicopter Conclave-2017
was held at the Pawan Hans Heliport, Rohini, New Delhi. The theme of this conclave was ‘Enhancing
Connectivity’. It was organised by Pawan Hans Limited in association with PHD Chamber of Commerce and
Industry.

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• On 4th November 2017, the annual Balijatra festival began on the banks of river Mahanadi in Cuttack at
Gadagadia ghat.
• On November 4, 2017, the second day of ‘World Food India’ 2017 event in New Delhi, Telangana State
Government launched its ‘Food Processing Policy’.
• On November 4, 2017, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched 647 schemes with a total
financial outlay of Rs. 24.57 crore to boost Majuli’s development.
• Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling on 05th Nov 2017 announced about a plan to launch a second
phase of organic movement in the state. Sikkim became a fully organic state on 2016.
• Union Ministry of Shipping has announced to provide financial assistance worth Rs 2302 crore for projects
under the Coastal Berth Scheme of the flagship Sagarmala Programme.
• Indian Railways has launched the main arch of the world’s highest bridge on the river Chenab in Jammu and
Kashmir’s Reasi district which will provide direct connectivity to the Kashmir valley.The bridge will
stand 359 metres above the bed of the River Chenab and will be 30 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower in
Paris.
• On 3rd November 2017, the Railway Board issued a letter stating that, it will install Aadhaar-based biometric
attendance system in all its zones and divisions by 31stJanuary 2018.
• On November 3, 2017, Department of Post issued stamps with photos of three Hyderabadi dishes – Biryani,
Baghare Baingan and Seviyan.
• On November 1, 2017, Embassy of Sweden and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Ltd jointly
inaugurated the Nobel Memorial Wall at the Rajiv Chowk Metro station of the Delhi Metro network. The wall
will be on display till November 7, 2017.
• On November 6, 2017, Bombay High Court allowed a 28-year-old woman to abort her 25-week foetus with
neuro abnormalities. This order by Bombay High Court’s bench of Justices Shantanu Kemkar and Girish
Kulkarni was based on a report by government-run JJ hospital which suggested that it is advisable to
terminate pregnancy.
• On November 6, 2017, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar inaugurated
a two-day National Workshop ‘Chintan Shivir’ in New Delhi.
• On 8th November 2017, the Kerala government launched a new scheme for school students named ‘She Pad’
in Kerala. Free sanitary napkins, storage spaces and environment friendly incinerators at all government-aided
schools in Kerala will be provided as part of the project.

PLACES IN NEWS

• After signing a memorandum of understanding with the Maharashtra government, Walmart India on 2nd Nov
2017 has announced its plans to launch its Cash and Carry business in Mumbai to enable small businesses.
• The Odisha Government has imposed seven-months ban i.e. til May 2018, on fishing in the Puri coast in order
to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle.This ban comes prior to arrival of Olive Ridley turtles for
nesting in the winter season along the east coast of Odisha.
• Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under Union Ministry of Defense has constructed the world’s highest
motorable road (at 19300 feet) in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.This road passes through Umlingla
Top at a height of over 19,300 feet.
• On November 2, 2017, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi inaugurated ‘Sonepur Mela’ (in
Sonpur town of Bihar). Sonepur Mela is considered as one of the biggest cattle fair in Asia. The fair will
continue till December 3, 2017.
• World’s third largest book fair, Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2017, opened pm November 1, 2017
in Sharjah, UAE. Theme of SIBF 2017 is ‘A World in My Book’.

SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

• On 1st -3rd November 2017, the 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER7) was held in Bangkok,
Thailand. The Government of Thailand hosted the 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER7). It
was co-Hosted by the United Arab Emirates. Theme for AMER7 was ‘Global Energy Markets in Transition:
From Vision to Action’.
• 23rd annual “conference of the parties”(COP) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) begun on November 6, 2017 in Bonn, Germany. This conference will continue till
November 17, 2017. COP23 was opened on November 6, 2017 by Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe ‘Frank’
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Bainimarama.India’s theme for COP 23 is ‘Conserving Now, Preserving Future’.

• 4th meeting of the India-US Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Co-operation (JWGACTC)
was organised in India from October 29, 2017 to November 3, 2017.
• On 1st November 2017, the India-US Ocean Dialogue, hosted by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs,
began at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-
NIO) in Goa.
• On 1st November 2017, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the Global Clubfoot
Conference, organised by the CURE India in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
in New Delhi.
• International Conference on “Ramayan Circuit and Mithila-Awadh Relations” begins in Janakpur. Culture
Minister of Nepal Jitendra Naryan Dev, inaugurated this conference.
• “FIPSPHYSIOCON 2017”, Conference on Human Physiology – VII Congress of Federation of Indian
Physiological Societies (FIPS) along with XXIX Annual Conference of the Physiological Society of India
(PSI) was inaugurated at Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute (VPCI), University of Delhi on November 5, 2017.
Theme of “FIPSPHYSIOCON 2017” was “Integrating Physiological and Biomedical Science Approaches to
Improve Performance, Health and Safety”.

RANKINGS & REPORTS

• India has leaped to 100th rank out of 190 countries on World Bank’s latest edition of ‘ease of doing business’
index. ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index is prepared annually by World Bank since 2003. The List is topped by
New Zealand.
• Goa ranked at top and Bihar featured at the lowest in the first ever Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI) released
by child rights organisation ‘Plan India’. Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI) has been compiled by ‘Plan India’
a non-government organisation and was released by Union Women and Child Development Ministry on
November 1, 2017.
• As per joint study by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India(ASSOCHAM) and Ernst &
Young (EY), India has the largest number of malnourished children in the world.Nearly 40% of Indian
children were reportedly undernourished in the year 2015.Jharkhand has the highest number of underweight
kids (less than five years of age).
• According to global airlines’ grouping IATA, India’s domestic aviation sector grew the fastest and India
topped the domestic growth chart again in September as the country registered double-digit growth for 37
consecutive months.
• India has ranked 108th out of 144 countries on Global Gender Gap Index 2017 released by World Economic
Forum (WEF). This year’s rank marks a drop by 21 places as compared to previous year’s ranking. Iceland
topprd the list.
• Air New Zealand has been named ‘Airline of the Year’ for 2018 by AirlineRatings.com.
Air New Zealand has been adjudged ‘Airline of the Year’ for the fifth consecutive year.
• As per Grant Thornton’s International Business Report (IBR), India has slipped to 7thposition in ‘business
optimism’ index for the September 2017 quarter. The List is topped by Indonesia. Grant Thornton
International Business Report (IBR) is a business survey launched in 1992.

FOREIGN VISITS

Italy PM Paolo Gentiloni’s two days visit to India

• This is the first visit to India by an Italian Prime Minister in last ten years.Romano Prodi was the last Italian
Prime Minister to visit India.
• During the course of this visit, Mr. Gentiloni met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India President Ram
Nath Lovind and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
• India and Italy signed six pacts to deepen cooperation in the fields of railways sector safety, energy and
promoting mutual investments.
• Italian airline Alitalia re-started direct flights to India after a gap of nine year. The direct flight will connect
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New Delhi and Italian capital, Rome.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

• ‘Fake news’ has been named the word of the year by Collins dictionary due to its widespread use around the
world in recent times
• Kazakhstan, a Central Asian Country will change its name to Qazaqstan.
• The Minister of State (Independent Charge) Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore has left to
attend World Youth Forum, scheduled to be held at Sharam El Shiekh, Egypt.
• On November 5, 2017, Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore met Sports Minister of
Egypt, Khaled Abd El Aziz and discussed ways to step up cooperation in the field of sports and youth affairs.
• On 4th November 2017, China adopted a new law enforcing a three-year punishment for disrespecting the
national anthem, which would be enforced in the specially administered provinces of Hong Kong and Macau.
• On November 5, 2017, Nepal inaugurated a bridge on the Kaligandaki River at Jomsom area in Mustang
district near China border.This bridge has been built with financial assistance of 44.5 million Nepali rupees
provided by India. The financial assistance was provided as a part of India–Nepal Economic Cooperation
(INEC) programme.
• On November 6, 2017, Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held a meeting with Guinea’s Foreign
Minister, Mamady Toure. During the course of this meeting, Mamady Toure handed over Guinea’s Instrument
of Accession to the India-initiated International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• On November 5, 2017, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)released ‘The Paradise
Papers’, a global investigation that revealed as to how some of the world’s most powerful/famous people and
business entities moved money to and from 19 tax havens to evade taxes through trusts, foundations and shell
companies. Among these countries India ranks 19th in terms of the number of names.
• On 7th November 2017, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) was launched to
monitor the general and provincial polls in Nepal which are scheduled for 26 November and 7 December,
2017.

BANKING & FINANCE

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that purchase price for the latest Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB)
series which opened on October 30, 2017 has been fixed at Rs 2,945 per gram.Investment in these bonds can
be done in multiples of 1 gm of gold.
• With effect from November 1, 2017, State Bank of India (SBI) has cut its benchmark lending rate by 0.05 per
cent across maturities.This decision has reduced SBI’s marginal cost of funds based lending rate
(MCLR) from 8.00 per cent to 7.95 per cent.
• On October 31, 2017, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved Rs. 13,000 crore loan for five
projects in Andhra Pradesh.
• Private sector bank, Yes Bank has unveiled BHIM YES PAY which is being termed as India’s 1st wallet that
is fully integrated with all the IndiaStack APIs and National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) products.
• On November 3, 2017, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a notification, directing corporate borrowers
having exposure of Rs 5 crore and above to mandatorily obtain 20-digit Legal Entity Identifier (LEI).
• On 3rd November 2017, Yes Bank signed a MoU with the government to provide Rs 1,000 crore financing for
food processing projects.Yes Bank said that, the funding will be provided to around 100 food processing
projects with an average size of Rs 10 crore each.
• AU Small Finance Bank has received an approval from Reserved Bank of India (RBI) to operate as Scheduled
Commercial Bank and has thereby been included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• On November 3, 2017, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) clarified that farmers do not need to quote
Permanent Account Number (PAN) for cash sale of their produce up to Rs 2 lakh a day.
• On November 3, 2017, Union Communications Minister Manoj Sinha stated that India Posts Payments Bank
(IPPB) will have nationwide presence by April 2018.By April 2018, IPPB branches will be opened in 650
districts across India.Currently IPPB branches are operational in Raipur(Chhattisgarh) and Ranchi
(Jharkhand).
• As per a report by Japanese financial services firm Nomura, India’s current account deficit (CAD) for FY
2017-18 is expected to be around $40 billion, or 1.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• Insurance firm Bajaj Allianz has come up with India’s first ever insurance cover for individual victims
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of cyber crime.
• On November 3, 2017, digital payment platform Paytm launched ‘Inbox’, a messaging service that will allow
consumers to chat with friends and family and send and request money at the same time.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data has showed that, India’s foreign exchange reserves fell for the second
consecutive week to $398.761 billion.
• ICICI Bank teams with Apple to launch voice-based international remittance service for NRIs to send money
to any bank in India.
• On 6th November 2017, HSBC pledged to provide $100 billion in financing and investment by 2025 to help
combat climate change.HSBC has promised $100billion of finance for low-carbon technology and sustainable
development by 2025 as part its commitment to tackling climate change and other “green” goals.
• On November 6, 2017, India has pledged an additional USD 100 million towards the UN partnership
fund. This amount is in addition to India’s USD 10.582 million contributions to various other UN
programmes.
• HDFC Bank Ltd has made online transactions through RTGS and NEFT free of cost from 1st November 2017,
with an aim to promote a digital economy.
• On 7th November 2017, Paytm introduced payments using BHIM UPI through which users can create their
own Paytm BHIM UPI ID on the app, using which customers can transfer money.
Using BHIM UPI users can create their own Paytm BHIM UPI ID on the app, which will be issued by Paytm
Payments Bank.
• On November 7, 2017, India singed a loan agreement with World Bank for USD 119 million for
the Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity (OHEPEE) Project.
• On November 7, 2017, Bank of China formally launched its operations in Pakistan by opening its first branch
in Karachi.
• On November 7, 2017, Syndicate Bank formed a human chain to create awareness among the public to fight
corruption. This human chain was formed by Syndicate Bank in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has amended IBBI (Insolvency Resolution Process for
Corporate Persons) Resolution Process, 2016 to ensure that the corporate insolvency resolution process results
in a credible and viable resolution plan. As per the norm stipulated in this amendment, the antecedents, credit
worthiness and credibility of a resolution applicant, including promoters will be checked by the Committee of
Creditors before approving the resolution plan

BUSINESS

• As per data released by Union Commerce and Industry Ministry on October 31, 2017, core industries
registered a growth of 5.2% in September 2017. Coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers,
steel, cement and electricity are together referred to as core industries.
• Global Environment Facility (GEF), an international partnership of 183 countries, International development
banks, United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will provide $454
million funding for energy-efficiency projects run by Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL).
• Asia Index Pvt Ltd, a joint venture of S&P Dow Jones Indices and BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange), has
launched an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) index.
• On November 1, 2017, United States (US) Government approved a $1.1 billion deal to service Qatar’s F-15
fighter jets despite the ongoing diplomatic stand-off between Qatar and its neighbouring countries.
• Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed seven unilateral advance pricing agreements (APAs) with
Indian taxpayers during October 2017.7 unilateral APAs signed by CBDT in October 2017, pertain to sectors
like FMCG, semi-conductor, information technology, travel and leisure, office furniture and engineering.
• On 3rd November 2017, TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) announced that, Reliance
Communications will shut down voice call service from 1st December 2017 and its customers can move to
other networks by the end of 2017.
• On 3rd November 2017, a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) of Rs 10, 000 Crore was signed between
the Government of India and Patanjali at the World Food India 2017.
• The transportation network company Ola announced its strategic partnership with Microsoft company, and
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thereby choosing the microsoft as its preferred cloud provider.

• On November 6, 2017, Kerala State Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Intel
and UST Global for exploring the possibility of transforming the state into an electronic hardware
manufacturing hub.
• HSBC pledged to provide $100 billion in financing and investment by 2025 to help combat climate change.
• On 8th November 2017, Indian Commodity Exchange (ICEX) said that, it has successfully completed first-
ever diamond futures contracts settlement with the total traded quantity in November expiry for 5,382.08
carats valued at Rs 173.32 crore.
• Indian government has notified the third protocol with New Zealand for the avoidance of double taxation and
prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.This protocol updates the existing protocol by
incorporating new provisions about sharing of tax-related information as per the latest international standard.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

• Noted Malayalam Poet and literary critic, K Satchidanandan, has been selected for 2017 Ezhuthachan
Puraskaram award, Kerala government’s highest literary honour.
• ICICI Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) Chanda Kochhar and Bollywood
actress Priyanka Chopra have featured on the list of the world’s 100 most powerful women compiled by
Forbes. The overall list was topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She has retained the top position
for the seventh consecutive year and 12 times in total.
• On 1st November 2017, Royal Opera House in Charni Road, Mumbai, was awarded the 2017 UNESCO Asia-
Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation.The Royal Opera House was closed to the public in 1993. It
was reopened in 2016 after restoration
• On 1st November 2017, Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, overtook China’s Hui Ka Yan and
became Asia’s richest person with a total wealth of$42.1 billion, According to Forbes’ real time billionaire’s
list.
• Tata Power Solar has won ‘Dun & Bradstreet – Everest Infra Awards 2017’ under Infrastructure Project
category for commissioning India’s largest solar project under Domestic Content Requirement for NTPC at
Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.
• On 3rd November 2017, the Jnanpith Selection Board announced that renowned Hindi writer Krishna Sobti has
been chosen for 2017 Jnanpith Award.
• Indian playwright, actor, film director, and writer Girish Karnad has been announced as the recipient of
the Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017.
• Srirangam temple of Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu has won the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017 for
cultural heritage conservation.It has become the first temple in Tamil Nadu to be given the prestigious award
from the UN body. The renovation of the temple began in June 2014.
• On November 4, 2017, India set a Guinness world record by cooking 918 kg khichdi at ‘World Food India’
2017 event in New Delhi.Khichdi is a traditional Indian multi-grain dish that is relished equally by rich as
well poor people across India.
• On November 6, 2017, Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced ‘Best Urban Transport
Practices’ Award on the concluding day of the three day Urban Mobility Conference –cum-Exhibition at
Hyderabad.Surat Municipal Corporation has won ‘Best City Bus Services Award’ for attracting 87% of the
private vehicle and auto rickshaw users to use city buses. This feat was accomplished with Bus Rapid
Transport System (BRTS) which was made operational in 2014. BRTS in Surat currently operates 275 buses
on 28 routes.
• On 5th November 2017, Veteran actor Mohan Joshi was honoured with the prestigious Vishnudas Bhave
award for his contribution to theatre.Mohan Joshi was honoured with Vishnudas Bhave award at
a ceremony held in Sangli, Maharashtra on the eve of Marathi Rangbhumi Din.
• On November 3, 2017, Goa State Government signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the Department of Bio-Technology under Union Ministry of Science and Technology and Nobel Media,
Sweden to hold the ‘Nobel Prize Series — India 2018’ from 1st – 28th February, 2018. Theme of this event
will be ‘Science Impacts Life’.
• Banaganapalle mangoes of Andhra Pradesh and six other products have been granted Geographical
Indications (GI) during this fiscal year, 2017-18 by the Indian patent office.In 2016-17, as many as 33 items
across India got GI tag.
• On 31st October 2017, ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India) honoured
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CMC Skills’ Founder Ms. Maya Swaminathan Sinha with the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2017’ award
in Ranchi.
• On 1st November 2017, Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company was awarded the 21st Asia Insurance
Industry Awards in the “General Insurance Company of the Year” category, at Singapore.
• On 5th November 2017, Indian short film ‘The School Bag’ won the Best Short Film Award at the South
Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM) in Montreal. Actress Rasika Dugal has played the mother role. The
film was directed by Dheeraj Jindal.
• On 6th November 2017, Eric Vuillard’s novel L’ordre du jour (in English ‘Agenda’), story of how German
industry and finance backed Adolf Hitler, won the top Goncourt Prize 2017 award, at the restaurant Drouant
in Paris.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Appointee Desigantion –Organisation

Suresh Chukkapalli Consul General of South Korea
Knut Ostby Myanmar resident coordinator (UN named)
Neelamani N. Raju Karnataka’s first woman police chief
Vikas Seth CEO of Bharti AXA Life
Sudhanshu Jain CFO of Paytm Payments Bank
Rajesh Vaishnaw High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Malta
Neeraj Chopra Brand Ambassador of Gatorade, sports drinks giant
Nasir Kamal Additional Director General of BSF
Shamika Ravi Member of PM economic panel
Mary Kom Youth World Championships ambassador
Kenneth Juster US Ambassador to India
Saad al-Hariri (resigns) Lebanese Prime Minister
Madhu Azad Gurgaon’s first woman mayor
Delhi PWD Secretary Ashwani Kumar Chief Secretary of Puducherry
R K Kulshrestha GM, Southern Railway
Poonguzhali First woman Senior DDG appointed in TERM, DoT- Tamil Nadu
Binoy Kumar Special Secretary in Commerce Ministry
Hasmukh Adhia Finance Secretary
Sanjeev Kaushik Whole-time member of SEBI

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• On 1st November 2017, the Cabinet approved ONGC for acquiring majority 51.11 % stake in HPCL
(Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited).The government’s 51.11% stake in HPCL is sold to ONGC for an
amount of Rs 26,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore.

SCHEMES

• Union Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha launched a pan India scholarship program for school
children called Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to increase the reach of Philately. Philately is the hobby of
collection and study of Postage stamps.
• Kerala State Government has decided to formulate a ‘Trauma-Care Scheme’, under which all accident victims
in Kerala will be provided necessary emergency care and treatment free-of-cost for the first 48 hours after
being admitted to a hospital.
• A committee headed by M Vinod Kumar, GST chief commissioner for Karnataka has started a review of the
laws governing Goods and Services Tax (GST).
• The Maharashtra state government has decided to set up a committee for the implementation of a Rs.4,000-
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crore project on climate resilience agriculture in 5,000 villages of 15 districts in the state. The project would
be funded by the World Bank.

MoUs

• On 1st November 2017, Assam government signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Terms of
Reference (ToR) with Singapore for skilling youth of the state.
• Indiana, a State in the US, and Karnataka have signed an agreement to establish sister-state ties for
cooperation in economic, educational and cultural fields.
• On 2nd November 2017, the Haryana government signed a MoU with Verbind, an integrated trade facilitation
services organisation, to set up a logistics and trading hub in Haryana.
• Haryana State Government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Vyakti Vikas Kendra, a
training institute of the Art of Living Foundation for helping jail inmates to maintain and improve their health
and reduce physical and mental stress.

COMMITTEES
• The Inter-State Council, has been reconstituted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its Chairman and six
Union ministers and all chief ministers as members. Inter-State Council investigates and advises on disputes
between states.
• Union Power Ministry has set up a committee headed by P.D. Siwal, Member of Central Electricity Authority
(CEA) to investigate the causes of this accident and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in future.
• Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has reconstituted a multi-agency group to monitor investigations
related to the Paradise Papers. This multi-agency group will be headed by Central Board of Direct Taxes
(CBDT) chairman Sushil Chandra and includes representatives of the Enforcement Directorate.
• Maharashtra State government has formed a panel to study the feasibility of merging financially weak District
Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) with the Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank.The panel is
headed by former NABARD chairman Yashwant Thorat.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• On 30th October 2017, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Giriraj Singh launched MSME Delayed
Payment Portal named MSME Samadhaan (http://msefc.msme.gov.in).The MSME Samadhaan Portal will
give information about the
• On 2nd November 2017, Integrated Quarter Master Package (IQMP) software application was released to the
Indian Army by the Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Sarath Chand, in an event at South Block, New
Delhi. IQMP is a web based software developed by Army Software Development Centre in association
with TCS (Tata Consultancy Services). The application automates various logistics related functions of an
Army Unit.
• The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Western Railway (WR) has launched a mobile application ‘Eyewatch
Railways’ for the security of women commuters travelling between Churchgate and Virar suburban railway
stations, in Mumbai.
• Indian Naval Ships Tir and Sujatha and the Indian Coast Guard ship Sarathi arrived at the Colombo port on
02nd Nov 2017 on a goodwill and training visit.
• On 3rd November 2017, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force
(IAF) successfully tested an indigenously-built lightweight ‘glide bomb’ at the Integrated Test Range in
Chandipur, Odisha. The ‘glide bomb’ is named as Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW). It was released from
the IAF aircraft and guided through precision navigation system.
• Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the
regulatory body for Food Safety in India have launched a new tool called ‘Food Regulatory Portal’. ‘Food
Regulatory Portal’ will serve as a single interface for food businesses to cater to both domestic operations and
food imports.
• On 6th November 2017, China successfully launched two navigation satellites, named BeiDou-3 satellites,
aimed to build its own global positioning network with more than 30 satellites.The BeiDou-3 satellites were
launched with Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern
province of Sichuan, China.
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• Having Microsoft as a joint developer, an AI character was made an official resident of a busy central Tokyo
district in Japan. He doesn’t exist physically. He is a virtual chatty seven-year-old boy. The virtual boy was
named “Shibuya Mirai”. Mirai, whose name means “future” in Japanese language.
• Like INS Sujatha and INS Tir, Sri Lankan Navy welcomed the Pakistan Navy Ship PNS Saif, which arrived at
the Port of Colombo on 05thNovember on a 4 days goodwill visit.
• On November 3, 2017, China unveiled ‘Tiankun’ a massive ship described as a “magic island maker” and
considered the most powerful vessel of its type in Asia.
• On November 7, 2017, India successfully conducted a flight test of its indigenously designed and
developed long range sub-sonic cruise missile ‘Nirbhay’.This latest test was conducted from a test range at
Chandipur along the Odisha coast.
• Tata Steel has set up India’s largest Coke Dry Quenching (CDQ) facility at its steel plant located
in Kalinganagar, Odisha.
• On November 6, 2017, independent workplace provider WorkoLab unveiled its first co-working space in
Gurgaon, Haryana and in Pusa Road, New Delhi.
• The Indian Navy is set to use advanced catapult-based aircraft launch mechanism (CATOBAR) from the U.S.
for its second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-II). The U.S. has offered India its latest EMALS
(Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System) technology. This was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical
Systems Inc.
• Coal Ministry launches Grahak Sadak Koyla Vitaran App for transparency in coal despatches through road’
on CIL’s Foundation Day at Kolkata.
• ISRO’s “AstroSat”accomplished the difficult task of measuring X-ray polarisation of Crab pulsar in the
Taurus constellation during 18-months of its study for the first time. ISRO launched its first dedicated space
observatory AstroSat on aPolar Satellite Launch Vehicle (rocket) on September 28, 2015, from its spaceport at
Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
• On 08th Nov 2017, the social media giant, Twitter announced that it is extending the 140 character limit to
280 characters in all languages where cramming was an issue.
• Astronomers have discovered the most ancient spiral galaxy in the universe which they believe existed 11
billion years ago, named A1689B11.
• Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi launched an online portal for registering
complaint related to sexual harassment in non-government and government organisations named ‘SHe-box’.

DEFENCE

• On October 31, 2017, a 45 member contingent of the Indian Air Force left for Israel to participate in exercise
‘Blue Flag-17’. Blue Flag is a bi-annual multilateral exercise held by Israeli Air Force with air forces of other
countries.
• China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have held their largest- ever
joint maritime rescue exercise, signalling a calm in South China Sea tensions. The exercise, which took place
on 31stof oct 2017, in the waters off the southern coast of China’s Guangdong Province, was “the largest of its
kind for China and ASEAN members.
• The Indian Army today launched an independent and fully-integrated Joint Training Node (JTN) at Umroi
cantonment, Meghalaya.
• On October 31, 2017, Union Defense Ministry approved a major project to acquire 111 utility helicopters for
the Indian Navy at a cost of Rs.21738 crore.
• On November 6, 2017, ‘SAMPRITI 2017’, the seventh edition of Indo-Bangladesh joint military training
exercise begun in Meghalaya.
• On 2nd November 2017, Indian and Kazakhstan armies began a 14-day joint exercise “Prabal Dostyk-
2017” in Himachal Pradesh, to strengthen bilateral relations and exchange skills and experience.
• The two-day Coastal Security Exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ is to be held on 8th and 9th November, 2017. The
Sagar Kavach exercise is being conducted and coordinated by Indian Coast Guard, District Headquarter at
Goa.
• A five-ship Indian naval training flotilla (a small fleet of ships or boats), is on a visit to Colombo, Sri Lanka to
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to expose the trainees to the conduct of warship in foreign waters and strengthen the bridges of friendship
between India and Sri Lanka.The five ships in this flotilla includes INS Tir, INS Sujata, INS Sudarshini, INS
Shardul and Coast Guard vessel ICGS Sarathi.

ENVIRONMENT

• On October 31, 2017, Uttar Pradesh State cabinet took a decision to make India’s first conservation reserve
for black buck in Meja Forest Division of Allahabad.Among five major decisions taken by Uttar Pradesh State
Government during cabinet meeting on October 31, 2017, decision on black buck conservation reserve in
Meja, Allahabad is considered as the most important one.
• On 31st November 2017, Nana, a female bottlenose dolphin, died at the Shizuoka Prefecture aquarium, in
Japan. Dolphin Nana recently broke a national record of staying captive at the aquarium for 15,666 days, or 42
years and 11 months.
• On 2nd November 2017, a new species of orangutan ‘Pongo tapanuliensis’ was discovered in the Sumatra
island of Indonesia, which has become the world’s most endangered great ape.
• Typhoon Damrey hit Vietnam on 4th November 2017 and made landfall causing devastation. This was
the strongest cyclone in Vietnam in 16 years. It weakened and fully dissipated on 5th November 2017.
• Researchers have discovered a new species of ant named ‘Tyrannomyrmex alii’ in the Western Ghats. The
new species of ant was found in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The research has been published
in the journal Zootaxa.

SPORTS

• The 2018 Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Emerging Nations Cup would be held in Pakistan in more than one
city. This was announced by PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) chairman Najam Sethi.
• On 30th October 2017, Indian wrestler Geeta Phogat won a gold medal at the All India Police Championship
2017.Geeta Phogat has won a gold medal at the All India Police Championship 2017. She won India’s first-
ever gold medal in women’s wrestling at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. She became the first woman
wrestler from India to qualify for the Olympic Summer Games.
• On 29th October 2017, Rohan Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas won the Erste Open title in Vienna, and Saketh
Myneni and Vijay Sundar Prashanth pair won theVietnam Open trophy at the Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam.
• On 29th October 2017, Roger Federer won 8th Swiss Indoors title, in Basel, Switzerland.Roger Federer
defeated Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro by 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3 and won the eighth Swiss Indoors title, in Basel,
Switzerland.
• Hong Kong has become the first Asian city to host the Gay Games in 2022.Hong Kong beat Mexico’s
Guadalajara and Washington DC to host the 11th edition of Gay Games. The event is expected to attract
15,000 participants.
• On 31st October 2017, the Delhi District Cricket Association inaugurated the Virender Sehwag Gate at the
Feroz Shah Kotla. A gate at the Feroz Shah Kotla dedicated to cricket legend Virender Sehwag was
inaugurated by the Delhi and District Cricket Association.
• On 2nd November 2017, Kidambi Srikanth secured a career-best ranking of World No. 2,after jumping two
places in the latest BWF (Badminton World Federation) ranking.
• On November 4, 2017, Indian golfer Aditi Ashok won the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi,
UAE and has thereby won her third Ladies European Tour (LET) title in less than twelve months.
• Chennai will host the inaugural edition of Table Tennis Super League-Tamil Nadufrom 24th – 26th November,
2017. This tournament will be organised by Indusports, under the auspices of Tamil Nadu Table Tennis
Association and 11Even Sports.
• Indian table tennis players Achanta Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran have won bronze medal in the
men’s doubles category of the 2017 Challenge Belgium Open. Sharath Kamal & Sathiyan lost in the semi-
finals to the German pair of Patrick Franziska and Ricardo Walther.
• Satbir Singh and T Manorama Devi emerged victorious in the Elite Men’s and Elite Women’s events at
‘Saksham Pedal Delhi’ Cyclothon held in New Delhi on November 5, 2017. This event was organised by
Petroleum Conservation & Research Association (PCRA) under technical guidance from Cycling Federation
of India.
• India beats China 5-4 via and won the women’s Asia Cup hockey and India also qualified for next year’s
World Cup as Continental champion. Korea is in third place after it defeated Japan.
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• On 5th November 2017, the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) organised Delhi’s first
‘Saksham Pedal Delhi’ cyclothon event to promote cycling and conservation of transport fuel. The Saksham
Pedal Delhi event started from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. The event was supported
by the Cycling Federation of India.
• On 5th November 2017, India won the women’s Asia Cup hockey title 2017 at Kakamigahara in
Japan. The Indian women’s hockey team ‘Women in Blue’ defeated China in the final of the Asia Cup 2017
with a score of 1-1. India has won the gold medal after 13 years.
• On 5th November 2017, Shiv Kapur won his first Asian Tour title in India, bagging the Panasonic Open title
2017 at the Delhi Golf Club. Shiv Kapur won the Panasonic Open title 2017 by three strokes, after bringing
home a card of four-under 68 in the fourth and final round at the Delhi Golf Club.
• On 6th November 2017, the official logo, mascot and anthem for 2017 AIBA Youth Women’s World Boxing
Championship was unveiled in a ceremony at Guwahati, Assam.The official mascot, named Guppy, is a
female version of Assam’s one-horned rhino. The official anthem is ‘Make Some Noise’. The anthem
as composed by Shaan and sung by Sunidhi Chauhan.
Commonwealth Shooting Championships 2017 -Gold Coast, Australia
• India finish with 20 medals at Commonwealth Shooting Championships. The Indian squad won a total of 20
medals which included six gold, seven silver and seven bronze medals.
• 18 medals were won from the Rifle and Pistol discipline, whereas 2 medals (one gold and one silver) were
won in shotgun events.
• Indian shooters Satyendra Singh and Sanjeev Rajput won a gold and a silver respectively in the men’s 50m
rifle 3 positions event on the final day of Commonwealth Shooting Championships.
• Indian shooter Heena Sidhu won Gold Medal in women’s 10m Air Pistol event at Commonwealth Shooting
Championships.
• On November 1, 2017, Indian shooters Shahzar Rizvi, Omkar Singh and Jitu Rai won gold, silver and bronze
medals respectively in men’s in the 10m air pistol event at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships.
• In the 10m women’s air rifle event, India shooters Pooja Ghatkar bagged a gold while Anjum Moudgil won
the silver medal.
• Indian shooters Prakash Nanjappa won Gold, Amanpreet Singh won silver and Jitu Rai won bronze in men’s
50m pistol event at Commonwealth Shooting Championships.
• Double trap shooter Mittal won Gold while Shreyasi Singh bagged silver in the women’s double trap event.
• On November 2, 2017, Olympic bronze-medallist Indian shooter Gagan Narang won a silver medal in the
men’s 50m rifle prone event at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships.
• On 4th November 2017, Rural Development and Panchayat Minister of Punajb, Tript Rajinder Singh
Bajwa said that, to rule out the problem of drugs from Punjab, the Punjab government would organise village-
level sports tournaments.
• On 7th November 2017, Strike bowler Mitchell Starc took two hat-tricks in the same first-class game in
Australia.Mitchell Starc became only the eighth player in first-class cricket history and the first in 39 years to
achieve the feat as he headed New South Wales (NSW) to victory over Western Australia in the Sheffield
Shield.
• On 8th November 2017, Mary Kom won the gold medal in the Asian Boxing Championships in the Light
Flyweight category, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Mary Kom defeated North Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi in the
final 5-0 by unanimous judges’ decision and won the gold medal in the Asian Boxing Championships in
the Light Flyweight category (48 kg category).

OBITUARY

• Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Daughter Dina Wadia passes away in New York.
• Veteran Malayalam actor Vettoor Purushan passed away following old age illness, in Kerala.

IMPORTANT DAYS

• On 1st November 2017, World Vegan Day was celebrated all over the world.World Vegan Day is an annual
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event celebrated by vegans all over the world every 1 November. In 1994, Chairperson of the Vegan Society,
Louise Wallis decided to set November 1 as World Vegan Day.
• On 5th November 2017, World Tsunami Awareness Day was observed all over the world.The first Tsunami
Awareness Day was observed in 2016.
• On 6th November 2017, International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and
Armed Conflict was observed all over the world.
• On 8th November 2017, World Radiology Day was observed all over the world.Theme of World Radiology
Day 2017 is Emergency Radiology.

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