DAILY GK BANKERS ADDA NOVEMBER 1 TO 10 2016

01st November, 2016

EU and Canada sign Ceta free trade deal

I. The EU and Canada signed a free trade deal on 31st October 2016 that was almost derailed last week by objections from French-speaking Belgians , exposing the difficulties of securing agreement from 28 member states as Britain prepares for Brexit talks.

II. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and top EU officials signed the comprehensive economic and trade agreement, known as Ceta, paving the way for most import duties to be removed early next year. However, the treaty needs the approval of at least 38 national and regional parliaments, including the UK’s, to take full force.

PM inaugurates Chhattisgarh foundation day celebrations; Unveils Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya's statue

I. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Chhattisgarh's 16th foundation day celebrations in Naya Raipur. The Prime Minister will later address people gathered on the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee ground, where the 5-day long Rajyotsava is being held. 

II. Chhattisgarh Governor B D Tandon and Chief Minister Raman Singh are also present at the site. Mr Modi unveiled the statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in Naya Raipur. He also dedicate to people, 'Ekatma Path' and the Bus Rapid Transport System in the city. 

Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly quits

I. Rishi Jaitly, Twitter's India head who helped popularise the adoption of the micro-blogging website

among government departments to respond to citizen queries, has quit the company.

II. Jaitly was the vice-president for Asia Pacific, which includes India, West Asia and North Africa for Twitter. He made the announcement on a twitter storm 01st November 2016.

Kerala becomes open defecation free state

I. Kerala has become the third Open Defecation Free (ODF) state in the country. The announcement was made on the state’s foundation day on 01st November, 2016. Earlier, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim had declared themselves Open Defecation Free.

NHPC commissions 50 MW wind power project in Rajasthan

I. State-run NHPC has announced commissioning of a 50 MW wind power project in Rajasthan. NHPC has commissioned its 50 MW wind power project in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. 

II. The project consist of 25 nos wind turbine generators each of 2 MW capacity, which has been successfully synchronised with grid in October 2016.

Centre notifies rules for Real Estate Act for five UTs

I. The Centre notified the rules for Real Estate Act, that seeks to regulate the housing sector besides bringing transparency and ensuring timely completion of projects, which will be applicable for five Union Territories-The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep.

II. The rules state that a developer will be required to refund or pay compensation to the allottees with an interest rate of SBI's highest Marginal Cost of Lending Rate plus two per cent in case of delay in project.It stipulates that such payment to the allottee be made within 45 days of it becoming due.  

Banks to report frauds of Rs 1 crore and above to CVC

I. With several high-ticket alleged frauds like Vijay Mallya loan default case coming to fore, Central

Vigilance Commission has now made it mandatory for the public sector banks to report to it all such matters involving funds over Rs one crore.

II. The Commission will also call regular monthly meetings of senior officials of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), CBI and banks to monitor probe in suspected bank frauds of Rs 50 crore and above. 

Finance Ministry releases Rs 1,093 crore for restoration of infrastructure in J&K

I. The finance ministry released first installment of special assistance of Rs 1,093.34 crore for repair and permanent restoration of damaged public buildings in Jammu and Kashmir in pursuance of the announcement made by the Prime Minister last November.A total sum of Rs 2,000 crore has been provided for permanent restoration of damaged Infrastructure such as schools, colleges, hospitals, bus stations and other critical public infrastructure under Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan for J&K.

II. The Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan for J&K was announced by Narendra Modi on November 7, 2015, for Rs 80,068 crore for post flood relief and restoration and long-term development of the state, including assistance for small trade and business, power, new and renewable energy.

India and Palestine inks MoU to setup Palestine-Indo techno park in Ramallah

I. India and Palestine on 31st October 2016 signed a MoU for setting up a Palestine-India Techno Park in Ramallah, Palestine. During the visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to Palestine in October last year, the announcement for setting up of park was made.India has announced a grant of $12 million for setting up the park with payment of $3 million each on half-yearly basis for two years.

II. The Palestinian side has made the land available for the project.President of India, during his 2015 visit to Palestine announced five projects with regards to solidarity with Palestinian crisis. These projects includes a Techno Park in Ramallah ($12 million), Palestine Institute of Diplomacy ($4.5 million), and India-Palestine Centre of Excellence in ICT in Gaza ($1 million).

02nd November, 2016

PM Narendra Modi launches 'Saur Sujala Yojana' in Chhattisgarh

I. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the "Saur Sujala Yojana" in Chhattisgarh that would provide solar powered irrigation pumps to farmers at a subsidized price.

II. Chhattisgarh would be the first state to implement the scheme. Under the scheme, solar powered irrigation pumps of 3HP and 5HP capacity worth Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh respectively would be distributed to the farmers by March 31, 2019. The beneficiaries would get the pumps at the subsidised price.

Dhoni most valued athlete among Indians, Federer globally: Forbes Fab 40

I. Team India’s limited-overs cricket skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains the most valued Indian athlete in 2016, despite a drop in his brand value when compared with last year, shows the Forbes Fab 40 list released recently.

II. The annual Forbes Fab 40 list, which estimates the brand value of top sports labels, athletes, teams and events, reveals that Dhoni’s brand value reduced from $21 million in 2015 to $11 million this year, and his rank slipped from fifth to 10th during the same period. However, he remains the only Indian among the top 10 athletes globally.

III. Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer toppled golf great Tiger Woods as the most valued athlete globally. With a brand value of $36 million, Federer gained two notches from third last year, while Woods dropped four spots to stand fifth on the latest edition of the list. Among other top athletes on the list is Argentine football star Lionel Messi, ranked eighth. He was not among the top 10 last year.

SEBI tightens norms for credit rating agencies

I. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on 01st November 2016 tightened rules for credit rating agencies, prescribing more disclosures on suspension and withdrawal of ratings. The capital markets regulator also directed agencies to disclose the nature of their compensation arrangements with rated entities, including exchange of gifts.

II. CRISIL, ICRA and CARE are the major agencies that assign credit ratings to issuers of debt instruments. The Sebi move follows an increase in the number of defaults due to a deteriorating               corporate debt profile.

Sushil Chandra takes charge as CBDT chief

I. Sushil Chandra on 01st November 2016 took over as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). Chandra, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the 1980 batch, comes in place

of Rani Singh Nair, who retired from service on 31st October 2016.

II. Chandra, who has been Member (Investigation) in the CBDT since December 2015, will hold the top post till May 2017. During his long and illustrious career in the Income Tax Department, he has handled many prestigious assignments like the Principal Chief Commissioner and Director General of Income Tax at Ahmedabad, Commissioner of Income Tax (Central) and Director of Income Tax (Investigation) at Mumbai.

Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 Mexican Grand Prix

I. Lewis Hamilton outpaced Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to win the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo ended on the third spot in the race.

II. The Mexican Grand Prix is an FIA-sanctioned auto race held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.

Miroslav Klose confirms retirement and joins Germany coaching staff

I. Miroslav Klose, the top scorer in World Cup history, is ending his playing career and will join Joachim Löw’s coaching staff as he studies for his pro licence, the German football association (DFB) have confirmed.

II. The 38-year-old retired from international football after winning the World Cup with Germany in 2014, scoring twice to bring his total goal tally from four tournaments to 16. He is also Germany’s record scorer with 71 goals.

India's Palpreet Singh Included in 2016 NBA D-League Draft

I. Palpreet Singh, winner of National Finals of ACG-NBA Jump, India's first national basketball

talent search program, was selected 11th in the fourth Round of the NBA D-League Draft held in New York.

II. Satnam Singh, who became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA when he was selected 52nd overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2015 NBA Draft, represents the Texas Legends, the minor league affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.

Australia announces 19 grants worth $6.3 million for projects with India

I. In a bid to boost ties with India, the Australian government on 02nd November 2016 has announced 19 grants worth $6,30,000 dollars for several projects in the field of education, science, sports, arts and culture.

II. The successful grants include an exchange between TAFE NSW and India's Centurion University to share expertise for training indigenous learners, collaboration between University of New South Wales and Indian scientists to develop effective new water purification systems for the country's water supply.

ICICI Bank launches overdraft facility for salaried home loan borrowers

I. ICICI Bank has launched a credit facility against home loans for salaried customers. The Home Overdraft facility will enable a salaried customer to seek loans up to Rs. 1 crore for personal needs against his/her property.

II. Salaried individuals, who have a home loan and a salary account with ICICI Bank, are eligible to apply for the ‘Home Overdraft’ facility. Also, salaried borrowers of preferred corporates who do not have home loans with ICICI Bank can transfer their home loans to the bank to avail themselves of this service.

03rd November, 2016

India-Bangladesh joint military exercise SAMPRITI-2016 to commence from 05 Nov

i. The joint military training exercise “Sampriti-2016” will be conducted between India and Bangladesh at Tangail, Dhaka, Bangladesh from 05 to 18 November 2016. 

ii. Exercise SAMPRITI is an important bilateral defence cooperation endeavour between India and Bangladesh and will be the sixth edition of the exercise which is hosted alternately by both countries.

Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak is the brand ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission

i. Ministry of Railways on 02nd November appointed Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, as a Brand Ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission. As part of the mission, Sulabh International has been assigned the task to clean some important railway stations across the country.

ii. Sulabh International is an India-based social service organization which works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management and social reforms through education.

PM gives away Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented the Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism at a function in New Delhi.

ii. The honour acknowledges exceptional work across 28 categories in print, broadcast and online journalism in English, Hindi and regional languages.

Maha first to launch cyber police stations in all districts

i. Maharashtra is the first state in the country to have a cyber police station in each district simultaneously. 

ii. The state is converting 42 state-of-the-art cyber-crime labs into police stations. 

iii. The state government is also setting up 51 cyber-crime labs. Notably, cyber crime in the state has increased by 142.1% in the last few years.

Sanjiv Arora appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Lebanon

i. An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Sanjiv Arora has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Lebanon by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). 

ii. Lebanon, officially known as the Lebanese Republic, is a sovereign state in Western Asia.

LinkedIn inks MoU with govt to create jobs for students

i. Leading global professional network LinkedIn has signed an agreement with the human resource development ministry to create more job opportunities for Indian students. 

ii. As part of the MoU, LinkedIn’s ‘Placements’ product will be adopted by all Indian colleges affiliated with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

South Korea names new PM and finance minister amid scandal

i. South Korea's presidential office on Wednesday named a new prime minister and finance minister.

ii. Kim Byong-joon, a senior former presidential secretary is expected to replace Hwang Kyo-ahn as prime minister. 

The Blue House named Financial Services Commission Chairman Yim Jong-yong as finance minister and deputy prime minister. 

IFFI to honour Kwon Taek Im with Lifetime Achievement Award

i. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on 2nd November 2016 announced that renowned South Korean director Im Kwon-taek will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

ii. The IFFI will take place from 20 November to 28 November 2016. The festival will pay a special tribute to late Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda and late Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami.

Indian badminton player Pratul Joshi wins Bahrain International Challenge title

i. Indian shuttler Pratul Joshi has won the men’s singles title of the Bahrain International Challenge badminton tournament. This was his maiden international title. In the summit clash played at Segayya in Bahrain, Pratul defeated Aditya Joshi.

ii. On the other hand, the women’s singles title went to Sri fatmawati of Indonesia. In the final clash, she defeated compatriot Asty Dwi Widyaningru.

04th November, 2016

Paris climate agreement becomes international law

i. The Paris Agreement officially entered into force on 4 November 2016. 

ii. The agreement deals with greenhouse gases emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance.

iii. The Paris Agreement’s entry into force comes a month after countries representing 55% of the world’s emissions committed to joining the deal.

iv. As of November 2016, 192 states and the European Union have signed the Agreement; 97 of those parties have ratified or acceded to the Agreement, most notably China, the United States and India.

GST Council approves 4-tier rate at 5%,12%, 18% and 28%

i. GST Council approved a four-tier GST tax structure of 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, with lower rates for essential items and the highest for luxury and de-merits goods that would also attract an additional cess.

ii. Goods and Services Tax is a proposed system of indirect taxation in India merging most of the existing taxes into single system of taxation.

India to host 7th session of COP7 on tobacco control from Nov 7-12

i. 7th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP7) to World Health Organization, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will be held from november 7th to 12th of this month at Greater Noida.

Govt, 3 PSUs to set up $2 bn equity fund for renewables

i. The Centre, along with state-run power entities NTPC, REC and PFC, will soon launch a USD 2 billion clean energy equity fund to support the government's ambitious target of adding 175 GW renewable energy generation capacity by 2022.

Saudi Arabia awards water prize to 8 scientists
i. Saudi Arabia has awarded eight scientists the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water at a ceremony at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

ii. The ceremony was hosted on Thursday by UN. Friends of Water and presided over by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon along with the prize committee chairman Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz. The bi-annual prize, established in 2002, aims to provide recognition to scientists and others whose work creatively addresses the problem of water scarcity.

Yes Bank launches new mobile banking app

i. India's Private sector lender Yes Bank has launched “Yes Mobile 2.0” its new mobile banking app with multiple new features and extensive support for banking transactions on Apple and Android-based SmartWatches. 

ii. The new application is filled with features like comprehensive bill payments, speech to text  capabilities for registering complaints and queries and even bill payments from wearables. 

iii. The app will allow customers to undertake most transactions on the app including NetBanking registration, thereby eliminating the need to visit the website or a banking branch.

Young Indian Lawyer Gets Elected Into UN's Top Body Of Legal Experts

i. An Indian lawyer won an election in the United Nations General Assembly for membership to the world body's top body of legal experts.

ii. 33-year-old Aniruddha Rajput is among the 34 individuals elected by the General Assembly as members of the International Law Commission.

Google ties up with ASI for virtual tour of monuments

i. American multinational technology company, Google has tied up with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for 360-degree virtual tour of 280-odd monuments across the country.

ii. ASI had given the permission to Google for creating the virtual tour, which would be available in the maps.Google has launched an arrangement of products in India like offline view of maps, live traffic alerts and the inclusion of unknown places on the maps by local guides.

Minister of Railways inaugurates International Conference on Decarbonisation of Indian Railways in New Delhi

i. Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu has inaugurated the International Conference on Decarbonisation of Indian Railways – Mission Electrification in New Delhi on November 3, 2016.

ii. It was organised by Institution of Railways Electrical Engineer (IREE) in partnership with ASSOCHAM India.

Sri Lankan music legend Pandit Amaradeva passes away

i. Legendary Sri Lankan singer and composer Pandit Amaradeva, recipient of many international honours, including Padma Shri, for his contribution to music, died on 03 November 2016 after a heart attack. 

ii. He was 88.

Former J&K Deputy Chief Minister passes away

i. Former Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma died on 03 November 2016, after a prolonged illness. 

ii. He was 85 years old.

05th November, 2016

First World Tsunami Awareness Day observed

i. The First World Tsunami Awareness Day is being observed today across the world. 

ii. The theme for the year is Effective Education and Evacuation Drills.

iii. The observance of the day will help to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of the tsunami. 

President approves payment of 2% DA from July 1

i. President Pranab Mukherjee on 04 November 2016 approved the 2% hike in Dearness Allowance to central government employees, a move that could benefit 50.68 lakh employees and 54.24 lakh pensioners. 

ii. DA is provided to employees and pensioners to minimise the impact of price rise on their earnings. Earlier this year, DA was hiked 6% to 125% of the basic pay.

Switzerland appoints Ranveer Singh as brand ambassador

i. Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has been now named the first Indian ambassador for Switzerland Tourism.

ii. Singh will now be in charge of promoting Switzerland Tourism’s campaign for 2017 – “Nature wants you back!”

Twitter India MD Parminder Singh resigns

i. Two days after Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly announced his exit, the microblogging network’s MD for India, Southeast Asia and Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). 

ii. Singh’s departure marks a series of high-level changes in Twitter’s management, even as the company’s growth slows down globally and layoffs continue at its offices around the world.

Sonu Sood's Xuanzang is China's official entry to Oscars

i. China has selected historical-adventure film Xuanzang, which co-stars Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, as its official entry for the 89th Academy Awards.

ii. The project is a part of the three-film agreement signed between India and China.

Centre imposes Rs 10,000 cr penalty on RIL and its partners

i. Government has slapped a nearly 10,000 crore rupee fine on Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its partners BP and Niko for pumping out gas that flowed to the Krishna Godavari-D6 Block from an adjoining field owned by ONGC.ii. The Centre has given RIL a month to respond. The Oil Ministry, in a notice, to all the three partners sought 1.47 billion dollars for producing nearly 338 million British thermal unit in seven years ended March this year.

Yes Bank launches new mobile banking app

i. India's Private sector lender Yes Bank has launched “Yes Mobile 2.0” its new mobile banking app with multiple new features and extensive support for banking transactions on Apple and Android-based SmartWatches.

ii. The new application is filled with features like comprehensive bill payments, speech to text  capabilities for registering complaints and queries and even bill payments from wearables. 

06th November, 2016

PM to inaugurate 1st Intl Agro-biodiversity Congress

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first ever International Agro-biodiversity Congress, IAC in New Delhi today. 

ii. The event will initiate and encourage a dialogue among stakeholders, including farmers, to better understand everyone role in agro-biodiversity management and the conservation of genetic resources.

India, Japan NSAs hold bilateral consultations in New Delhi

i. National Security Advisors of India and Japan held bilateral consultations in New Delhi. ii. During their discussions, Mr. Shotaro Yachi and Mr. Ajit Doval expressed satisfaction at the implementation of important understandings reached during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India in December last year.

CII launches unique platform ‘Startup Mentorship Circle'

i. In view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of nurturing entrepreneurship, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched a unique platform called ‘Startup Mentorship Circle’ to help in connecting start-ups with the global marketplace.

ii. 'Startup Mentorship Circle’ is truly a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and startups to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. 

Odisha govt signs MoU to set up four more STPI centres

i. Odisha Government has signed an MoU with the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) for setting up of four more centres in the State.
ii. The new centres would come up at Angul, Jajpur, Koraput and Sambalpur. With this, the number of STPI centres will rise to eight in the State which is highest in the country. 

Indian Women's hockey team lift Asian Champions Trophy 2016

i. Indian Women's hockey team have lifted the Asian Champions Trophy 2016 in Singapore. In a thrilling summit clash, India defeated China 2-1.
ii. This is for the first time that Indian eves won the Asian Champions Trophy competition.

Manny Pacquiao reclaims WBO welterweight title for third time

i. In Boxing, Manny Pacquiao reclaims the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) welterweight title for the third time.
ii. The 37-year-old Filipino pugilist, who had announced his retirement seven months ago, was declared the winner with unanimous decision after he defeated American Jessie Vargas in his comeback fight in Las Vegas.

06th and 07th November, 2016

India to host Conference on Tobacco Control today

i. India is set to host the crucial global tobacco control conference today for the first time, where it will push for incorporating smokeless tobacco as an agenda. 

ii. The 7th Session of the Conference of Parties to World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control will begin today at Greater Noida.

128th anniversary of Sir CV Raman being celebrated on 07th November.

i. The 128th anniversary of Nobel laureate Bharat Ratna Sir CV Raman is being celebrated on 07 November.

ii. He was born on November 7, 1888 at Thiruvanaikaval in Tiruchirapalli Tamil Nadu. 

iii. Sir CV Raman  won the Nobel prize in Physics 1930 for his  discovery -Raman effect - the scattering of light which makes the sea and clear sky look blue.

First S4A debt recast gets approval

i. Construction major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) became India’s first firm to get debt recast under RBI’s new Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A).
ii. The RBI-mandated Overseeing Committee (OC) under the S4A has approved HCC’s Rs. 5,000-crore debt recast passed by an ICICI Bank-led joint lender forum in September 2016.
iii. Under this debt recast of HCC 52% of the debt (nearly Rs. 2,600 crore) was found to be sustainable and can be serviced as per original terms and conditions, including about interest rate and tenure.

Google Capital changes its name to 'CapitalG'

i. Google Capital, the search giant's venture arm that invests in growth-stage companies, has changed its name to 'CapitalG'.

ii. The old GoogleCapital.com domain now forwards to CapitalG.com, and Google Capital's Twitter account has announced that it’s being retired in favour of a new @CapitalGTweets account. 

iii. CapitalG’s new site confirms a previously unmentioned detail that it has invested in Snapchat.

India, Sri Lanka sign pact to address fishermen crisis

i. India and Sri Lanka have signed an agreement under which a hotline will be set up between officials of the two countries to address the fishermen crisis.  

ii. It also set up procedures to return arrested fishermen and have a minister-level meeting every few months on the issue.

Petra Kvitova wins 2016 WTA Elite Singles Trophy

i. Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova on 6 November 2016 won the 2016 WTA Elite Singles Trophy.

ii. She defeated Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-2 to grab the title at Zhuhai, China. Venus Williams was the defending champion for the title. 

iii. However, she chose not to participate despite qualifying for the edition.

RBI appoints M Rajeshwar Rao as Executive Director

i. The Reserve Bank has appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as Executive Director (ED) following G Mahalingam’s voluntary retirement from the central bank.

ii. As Executive Director, Rao will look after Department of Statistics and Information Management, Financial markets Operations Department and International Department.

iii. Prior to taking over as the Executive Director, he was the Chief General Manager, Financial Markets Operations Department.

Vice President Releases Throor book ‘An Era of Darkness: British Empire in India’

i. Vice President of India, M. Hamid Ansari released book ‘An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India’ authored by Dr. Shashi Tharoor. 

ii. The author rightly points out that British rule in India was effectively and regularly supplemented by “famine, forced migration and brutality” – the ‘three examples of why British rule over India was despotic and anything but enlightened’.

BJP's Avinash Khanna all set to be appointed NHRC member

i. BJP Vice President Avinash Rai Khanna is all set to be appointed as a member of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with a high-level selection panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearing his name.

ii. The 55-year-old former Rajya Sabha member from Punjab and BJP in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir will perhaps be the first active politician to be appointed as a member of NHRC, which is headed by a former Chief Justice of India.

India rises to second place in global business optimism index

i. The latest Grant Thornton International Business Report for the July-September quarter has placed India 2nd on the global scale for business optimism. 

ii. During the April-June 2016 period, India was ranked at the third position after being on top for two consecutive quarters. Indonesia took the top spot, with the Philippines coming in third.

‘Lost’ Chandrabhaga river found in Odisha

i. Scientists from Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) claimed to have found evidence confirming the existence of a mythical Indian river, Chandrabhaga. 

ii. This is the second among such findings. In October 2016, KS Valdiya led expert committee had found that Saraswati River did exist. The IIT study aimed to verify this myth.

Henri Kontinen, John Peers win 2016 BNP Paribas Masters Doubles title

i. Henri Kontinen and John Peers have won the ATP World Tour Masters Doubles title at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. 

ii. Kontinen and Peers defeated top-seeded Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 to claim the title.

08th November, 2016

 

India and Britain sign two agreements
i. India and the United Kingdom have signed two pacts to boost cordial relations between the two nations.
ii. The pacts were inked during the 3 days visit of Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to India.
iii. PM Theresa May was on a three Day visit to India. one on intellectual property (IP) and another for bilateral cooperation on raising ease of doing business.

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan starts

i. The Union Government launched Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan to provide free health check-ups to pregnant women at government health centres and hospitals. 

ii. The Scheme was launched by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda in New Delhi. 

Demchok mission of Indian Army successfully completed

i. The Indian army has successfully completed its task of laying an irrigation pipeline in the Demchok region of Eastern Ladakh.

ii. The project was being conducted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to link the villages in the region with a hot spring.

Vinod Rai to head advisory commission

i. Vinod Rai has been appointed as the Chairman of Fund Trustee and Advisory Commission of Kerala.

ii. He will be entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the funds of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) are properly utilised and the interest of investors is protected. 

iii. Moreover, the board of the reconstituted KIIFB under Chairman Pinarayi Vijayan also decided to appoint Usha Thorat, former Deputy Governor of RBI and Prakash Bakshi, former Chairman of NABARD, as the other members of the FTAC.

RBI issues clarifications on hedging for ECBs

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued the Clarifications on hedging for External Commercial Borrowings (ECB). 

ii. The Clarifications were issued under section 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.

Tunisian leader among four conferred Jamnalal Bajaj Awards
i. Well-known Gandhian and President of Tunisia's Ennahdha Party, Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi was among four prominent personalities conferred with the prestigious 39th Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation Awards for 2016.
ii. Mohan Hirabai Hiralal, founder and convenor of Vrikshamitra was honoured for outstanding contribution in the field of Constructive Work.
iii. BonBehari Vishnu Nimbkar, founder of Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute was presented the award for application of science and technology for rural development.

iv. Dr. Nannapaneni Manga Devi, founder secretary of Sri Venkateswara Bala Kuteer and Chetana Charitable Trust was honoured with the award for development and welfare of women and children.

Ratnesh Kumar appointed MD and CEO of BoB Capital Markets 

i. Bank of Baroda has appointed Ratnesh Kumar as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of its wholly-owned investment banking subsidiary, BoB Capital Markets Ltd.

ii. The public sector bank stated that Kumar started his career in the Indian capital markets and financial services sector in 1993.

600 million pounds of masala bonds to be listed in London: UK

i. The British government has announced that, 4 rupee-denominated bonds worth of 600 million pounds are expected to be listed in London in the next three months. 

ii. Announcement was made by Prime Minister Theresa May.  Bonds will provide financing to expand India's highway and rail networks.

RBI appoints M Rajeshwar Rao as Executive Director

i. The Reserve Bank has appointed M Rajeshwar Rao as Executive Director (ED) following G Mahalingam’s voluntary retirement from the central bank. 

ii. As Executive Director, Rao will look after Department of Statistics and Information Management, Financial markets Operations Department and International Department. 

iii. Prior to taking over as the Executive Director, he was the Chief General Manager, Financial Markets Operations Department.

NASA’s MMS creates new Guinness World Record
i. NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission on 5 November 2016 set the Guinness world record for highest altitude fix of a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal at 70000 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.

ii. Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission successfully completed commissioning activities on 1 September 2015 and is now in full science mode.

09th November, 2016

Donald Trump elected 45th President of United States

i. Billionaire-turned-politician Donald Trump has been elected the 45th President of the United States.

ii. The Republican party candidate secured the support of 276 of the 538 members of the electoral college, beating Democratic party rival Hillary Clinton. President-elect Trump will formally take charge of the Oval Office on January 20, 2017, dubbed as the 'Inauguration Day'.

Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes invalid Now

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about fighting corruption and black money during his address to the nation. In a major step to check black money, the prime minister announced demonetization of Rs 500 and 1000 currency notes from 8th November midnight.

ii. The RBI has issued new series of notes for 500 rupees and 2000 rupees denomination with improved features and newer sizes.

Govt to open Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Kendra in every LS constituency

i. The Centre has decided to open Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Kendra in every Parliamentary Constituency to impart skill training to the people and make them employable.

ii. According to Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy, through these centres, a standard will be created to enhance the skill level of trainees so that they could earn more money.

President of India Inaugurated Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of ECGC 

i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Limited (ECGC) onNovember 8, 2016) in New Delhi.

India’s first LNG-powered bus rolls out in Kerala

i. India’s first liquefied natural gas-driven bus has been launched in Kerala. 

ii. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan jointly flagged off the first pilot run eco-friendly bus.

Amitav Ghosh to Be Honored With Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award

i. Acclaimed Indian American fiction author Amitav Ghosh, 60, has been named for 2016 Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Indian literary space.

ii. The award will be presented to him at the upcoming Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest's annual awards ceremony scheduled for Nov. 20.

UCO Bank to raise Rs 271 crore equity from LIC

i. UCO Bank has announced that it would raise Rs.271 crore from Life Insurance Corporation of India in preferential allotment of equal shares at Rs.37.74 apiece.

ii. Uco Bank is one of the many lenders which are placing shares with LIC on preferential basis to bring down government stake and raise public holding. Banks need capital also to meet Basel III stringent capital norm.

Asian Development Bank $48 million loan to help Assam improve power distribution

i. This is the second tranche loan of the USD 300 million multi-tranche financing facility for the Assam Power Sector Investment Programme that was approved by the ADB Board in July 2014.

ii. The project will help Assam to enhance capacity and efficiency of its power distribution system to improve electricity service to end user. 

Corp Bank inks pact with Indian Army

i. Corporation Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Army on the defence salary package.

ii. Corporation Bank would provide free/ concessional services to the Army under the MoU. The services include free drafts, cheque books, funds transfers to any bank in India through RTGS/ NEFT, free ATM cards, unlimited transactions on all ATMs, including that of other banks. 

Janet Reno, first female US attorney general, dies

i. Janet Reno, the first woman to be appointed as Attorney General of US, passed away as a consequence of Parkinson’s disease. 

ii. She was 78.

10th November, 2016

New series of Rs 500 & 2,000 notes to be available from today

i. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has announced that the new series of 500 and 2,000 rupees notes will be available in banks and post-offices from today and assured that there will be adequate availability of the new notes in the coming days.

ii. Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das on Nov 10 announced that the government will unveil Rs. 1,000 notes with a new colour combination and design in a few months. iii. The Government has warned that the cash deposits above 2 lakh 50 thousands rupees threshold under the 50-day window can attract tax plus a 200 % penalty in case of income mismatch, said Revenue Secretary Hashmukh Adhia.

ATMs to dispense Rs 50 notes from Nov 11: RBI

i. Come November 11, ATMs in the country will also dispense banknotes of Rs. 50 denomination. 

ii. Currently, the lowest denomination note a customer can get at an ATM is Rs. 100.

iii. According to Reserve Bank of India, all ATMs and cash dispensing machines will have to be re-configured to disburse bank notes of Rs. 100 and Rs. 50 denominations prior to reactivation of the machines on 11th November, 2016.

Nadda launches “Healthy India Initiative” magazine and mobile app

i. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda has launched Healthy India Initiative magazine and No More Tension mobile App for the promotion of health and to strengthen the health communications programmes.

ii. Healthy India Magazine: It will be a quarterly magazine. It will cater to health-related information and raise awareness about healthy living. 

iii. No More Tension App: It will help users to manage stress and will also provide information regarding stress, symptoms and its management.

Union Government launches Smart India Hackathon

i. The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched Smart India Hackathon 2017.
ii. It is the world’s largest digital national building initiative. 

iii. Through this initiative, HRD Ministry is keen to reach out to all technology institutions in the country and challenge students to offer innovative solutions to some of the daunting problems faced by our nation.

Uttarakhand Ratna for ND Tiwari

i. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today conferred the Uttarakhand Ratna award on his arch rival and former chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari on the occasion of the state's 17th foundation day. 

ii. The gesture was interpreted in the political circles as a smart political move ahead of next year's Assembly election in the state to capitalise on the Congress veteran's influence in the Kumaon region.

Delhi Declaration on Agrobiodiversity Management adopted

i. The 1st International Agro-biodiversity Congress that was held in New Delhi from 6 November to 9 November 2016 concluded with the adoption of Delhi Declaration on Agrobiodiversity Management. The event saw the participation of 900 participants from 60 countries.

ii. During the Congress, the delegates of all countries discussed various aspects of access, conservation and use of the agrobiodiversity in 16 technical sessions, four satellites sessions, a gene-bank roundtable, a public forum, a farmers’ forum and poster sessions.

Twitter COO Adam Bain is stepping down

i. In a big loss to Twitter, the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Adam Bain who was in charge of the micro-blogging website’s revenue business, has decided to leave the company. 

ii. According to a company filing, Chief Financial Officer  (CFO) Anthony Noto will take over as COO.

China launches pulsar navigation satellite

i. China has launched a navigation satellite, which will conduct in-orbit experiments using pulsar detectors to demonstrate new technologies. 

ii. The X-ray pulsar navigation satellite was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center today. 

iii. While in orbit, the satellite will undergo tests on its detector functions and space environment adaptability.

Professor Raj Bisaria to get Madhya Pradesh government govt's Kalidas Samman for Theatre

i. Renowned theatre personality and Padma Shri, Prof Raj Bisaria is all set to weave another feather in his cap with the Madhya Pradesh government honouring him with its prestigious 'Kalidas Samman' national award for 2015-16 for achievement in theatre. 

ii. The ceremony will be held on November 10 in Ujjain.

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