Attachment RBI NABARD SEBI 2019 November 1 To 23 Lyst5233 PDF

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Let us try to understand the relevance of current affairs in RBI Gr B , NABARD Gr A and NABARD Gr
B and also understand how to read this magazine.
What are the areas where current affairs-based questions are asked in RBI Gr B and NABARD Gr A
and B examinations?
• After thorough analysis of previous year papers of RBI Grade B and NABARD Gr A and B
examinations, we understand that current affairs form an important part of these examinations-
both phase 1 as well as phase 2
• For RBI Gr B examination, current affairs-based questions are asked in Phase 1 (General
Awareness – GA Section) and ESI and Finance paper of Phase 2
• For NABARD Gr A and B examinations, current affairs based questions are asked in Phase 1
(General Awareness – GA Section , Economics and Social Issues – ESI Section as well as Agriculture
and Rural Development – ARD Section) as well as Phase 2 (Economics and Social Issues – ESI
Section as well as Agriculture and Rural Development – ARD Section which is a combined paper of
100 marks)
What is the weightage of current affairs-based questions in Phase 1 and 2 of RBI Gr B and NABARD
Gr A and B examinations?
Let us look at RBI Gr B first:
Phase 1 – GA Phase 2 – ESI Phase 2 – FM

Total Marks = 80 Total Marks = 100 Total Marks = 100
Current Affairs weightage = 60- Current Affairs weightage = 80-85 Current Affairs weightage = 20-
65 Marks Marks 25 Marks
Now let us take a look at NABARD Gr A and B examination:
Phase 1 – GA Phase 1 - ESI Phase 1- ARD Phase 2 – ESI

Phase 2 – ARD Phase 2 – Paper
III (for Gr B)
Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks = Total Marks =
20 40 40 50 50 100
Current Current Affairs Current Current Affairs Current Current Affairs
Affairs weightage = 25- Affairs weightage = 35- Affairs weightage = 5-
weightage = 30 Marks weightage = 40 Marks weightage = 10 Marks
15-20 Marks 10-15 Marks 15-20 Marks
What is the nature of questions asked based on current affairs in these examinations?
To understand and better appreciate the nature of questions asked, this current affairs document
provided by EduTap has been divided into 3 sections namely:
1. GA in news
2. GA + ESI (Economics and Social Issues) in news
3. GA + Finance in news
Why this division?

• For the simple reason that current affairs need to be prepared in a combined manner for Phase 1
as well as Phase 2 of these examinations.
• General Awareness has been taken as the super set and all other sections – ESI, Finance and ARD
are nothing but subsets of the super set of GA when we talk about current affairs.
• Simply put, this means that all the current affairs which are important for ESI, ARD and Finance
can also be asked in GA.
Example:
Which of the following organizations has released State of Global Climate Report 2018 recently (April
2019)?
A) UNFCCC
B) BRICS
C) WMO
D) IPCC
E) None of the above
First look at this question suggests that this can be asked in the ESI section of the examinations as the
topic “Environmental issues and Sustainable Development” has been mentioned in the official
syllabus of ESI for both RBI Gr B and NABARD Gr A examinations.
But, can this question also be asked under General Awareness Section of Phase 1 of RBI Gr B and
NABARD Gr A/B? Yes!
Let us take another example.
Who among the following was the chairperson of the Committee on Currency Management
constituted by RBI in the year 2016?
A) Viral Acharya
B) Duvvuri Subbarao
C) Bimal Jalan
D) D.K. Mohanty
First look at this question suggests that this can be asked in the Finance section of the examination as
the topic “Recent Developments in the Financial Sector” has been mentioned in the official syllabus
of Finance for RBI Gr B examination.
NABARD Gr A/B? Again, Yes!
Let us take one last example:
In which of the following years was e-NAM launched?

A) 2012
B) 2013
C) 2015
D) 2016
What about this question?
First look at this question suggests that this can be asked in the Agriculture and Rural Development
(ARD) section of the examination as the topic “Agricultural Finance and Marketing” has been
mentioned in the official syllabus of ARD for NABARD Gr A/B examination.
NABARD Gr A/B? Again, Yes!
So, we have firmly established that the questions asked based on current affairs in ESI, ARD as well as
Finance can be asked in the GA section as well, didn’t we say that GA is the super set?
This also implies that there are certain areas in GA which cannot be asked in ESI, ARD or Finance.
What are those areas? Let us consider some examples:
Who among the following personalities has recently (April 2019) become the first Indian to join the
FIFA council?
A) Praful Patel
B) Sharad Pawar
C) Utpal Kumar Ganguly
D) Krishnendu Banerjee
Who has been elected as the first woman President of Slovakia recently (April 2019)?
A) Viorica Dancila
B) Zuzana Caputova
C) Kersti Kaljulaid
D) Ana Brnabic
Both these questions are such that can be asked in GA section but not in ESI, Finance or ARD. Why?
For the simple reason that these questions cannot be linked to any of the topics of ESI, ARD or
Finance as given in the official syllabus for RBI Gr B and NABARD Gr A/B examinations.
Based on this analysis, we have divided our current affairs magazine into 3 sections:
1. GA in news
2. GA + ESI (Economics and Social Issues) in news

3. GA + Finance in news
The first section – GA in news covers those news which can be asked in GA only and not in ESI, ARD
or Finance.
The second section – GA + ESI in news covers those news which can be asked in GA as well as ESI.
The third section – GA + Finance in news covers those news which can be asked in GA as well as
Finance.
How to read this document for Phase 1?
For RBI Grade B - you need to refer to first three sections of the magazine because the syllabus of
Phase 1 includes General Awareness (GA). This GA includes GA in news, GA + ESI in news and GA +
Finance in news.
For NABARD Grade A - you need to refer to first, second and fourth section of the magazine. The
syllabus of the exam includes current affairs from GA, ESI & ARD.
How to read this document for Phase 2?
For RBI Grade B - you need to refer to the second and third sections of this magazine. Section first i.e
GA in news is not important for Phase 2 as in this phase such type of questions are not asked. The
section of GA + ESI in news and GA + Finance in news are important for Phase 2 with two separate
exams of ESI and FM, 100 marks each.
For NABARD Grade A – you need to refer to section second for Phase 2 of this paper. A combined
paper of ESI + ARD with 100 marks is conducted in this phase. Section first i.e GA in news is not
important here.
Note - ARD month wise magazine is separately provided by us to

cover “ARD in news”
Now that we have understood how to read this magazine, let’s dive in!
Happy learning!

Contents
1 GA in News: ................................................................................................................................................. 17
1.1 Various states celebrated their ‘Formation Day’ on 1st November ........................................................ 17
1.2 UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of
‘Film’ and Hyderabad in the field of ‘Gastronomy’ ........................................................................................... 17
1.3 India & Germany sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding Museums of India and Germany ... 17
1.4 Lt Gen Anup Banerji takes charge as DG AFMS ..................................................................................... 17
1.5 Air Marshal Amit Dev takes over as Air Officer-in-charge Personnel at Air Headquarters ...................... 17
1.6 B. Suresh took over as AOC-in-C of Western Air Command ................................................................... 17
1.7 7th INDIA - US Economic and Financial Partnership meeting held ......................................................... 17
1.8 Google to buy Fitbit for $2.1 bn ............................................................................................................ 18
1.9 Anand bags coveted Ezhuthachan Award 2019 ..................................................................................... 18
1.10 S.P. Balasubrahmanyam selected for Chetana Award 2019 ................................................................... 18
1.11 Mukesh Kumar Gupta, Raj Kumar appointed as LIC managing directors ................................................ 18
1.12 Rajinikanth to be conferred with Icon of Golden Jubilee Award at IFFI .................................................. 18
1.13 Odisha Artist Sudarsan Patnaik picked for Italian Golden Sand Art Award ............................................. 18
1.14 Indian-origin researcher Neeraj Sharma awarded by Australian government ........................................ 18
1.15 South Africa defeated England to win 3rd Rugby World Cup ................................................................. 18
1.16 Former Karnataka Minister Vaijanath Patil dies at 81 ............................................................................ 19
1.17 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists observed on 2nd November.............. 19
1.18 PM addressed ‘Sawasdee PM Modi’ community programme in Bangkok .............................................. 19
1.19 Thai translation of ‘Tirukkural’ and Commemorative Coins marking Guru Nanak’s 550th Birth
Anniversary released ....................................................................................................................................... 19
1.20 Meiraba Luwang clinches title in Korea Junior Open ............................................................................. 19
1.21 IIT-Delhi to partner with ISRO to set up space technology cell .............................................................. 19
1.22 SCO Joint Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue Exercise (SCOJTEX)-2019 inaugurated............................ 19
1.23 Sara Damnjanovic crowned Miss Asia Global 2019................................................................................ 20
1.24 Official Emblem Unveiled For FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020 ............................................. 20
1.25 Pooja Gehlot wins silver in UWW Under-23 World Championships ....................................................... 20
1.26 Madrid to host 25th UN climate summit in December .......................................................................... 20
1.27 "eCAPA 2019 - Art from the Heart"- First-ever Arts Exposition for talents with intellectual challenges .. 20
1.28 Biennial Commonwealth Law Ministers Conference held in Colombo, Sri Lanka ................................... 20
1.29 Madhuri Vijay wins JCB Prize for Literature 2019 .................................................................................. 21
1.30 Industrialist and son of Modinagar's founder, K K Modi passes away .................................................... 21
1.31 World U-23 Wrestling championship held in Budapest, Hungary .......................................................... 21
1.32 IndusInd Bank finalises Sumant Kathpalia as new MD & CEO ................................................................ 21
1.33 PM attends 16th India - ASEAN Summit in Bangkok .............................................................................. 21

1.34 AYUSH Minister inaugurates National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders ............ 21
1.35 Fifth India International Science Festival inaugurated at Kolkata ........................................................... 21
1.36 Satya Pal Malik takes oath as Goa Governor ......................................................................................... 21
1.37 China launches new Earth observation satellite .................................................................................... 22
1.38 1st-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise - Dustlik-2019 begins ................................................. 22
1.39 IPS officer Aditya Mishra appointed chairman of Land Ports Authority of India ..................................... 22
1.40 Pegasus spyware to spy on government officials and journalists ........................................................... 22
1.41 ATP Rankings: Rafael Nadal Returns to No. 1 ........................................................................................ 22
1.42 Sahitya Akademi publishes new anthology to mark 200 years of Indian English poetry ......................... 22
1.43 US-Bangladesh Navy exercise inaugurated in Chattogram .................................................................... 23
1.44 World Tsunami Awareness Day observed on 5th November ................................................................. 23
1.45 Ministry of Tourism participates in three day long World Travel Market (WTM) in London ................... 23
1.46 Indian Railways celebrated Vigilance Awareness Week 2019 ................................................................ 23
1.47 Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Launches Instant Digital Savings and Instant Fixed Deposit Account ........... 23
1.48 Tech Mahindra acquires New York-based BORN Group for $95 million ................................................. 23
1.49 GRSE delivers fast patrol vessel ‘Annie Besant’ to Coast Guard ............................................................. 23
1.50 Amy Kenealy retires from international cricket ..................................................................................... 23
1.51 Olympics cycling champion Jacques DuPont died .................................................................................. 24
1.52 Nagpur set to have India’s first four-layer transit intersection .............................................................. 24
1.53 Former Maharashtra minister Babasaheb Dhabekar dead .................................................................... 24
1.54 India attends China's biggest import expo as 'Guest of Honour Country' ............................................... 24
1.55 Philately exhibition ‘Mumbaipex 2019’ inaugurated on the theme ‘Gandhi and Mumbai’ ..................... 24
1.56 11th Bal Sangam to be organized by National School of Drama .............................................................. 24
1.57 'Uttam Rake' launched on 69th Foundation Day of Western Railway ..................................................... 24
1.58 Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan re-elected as President of UAE ...................................................... 24
1.59 ‘Samudra Shakti : Bilateral Maritime Exercise of Indian and Indonesian Navy ....................................... 25
1.60 Kumar Mangalam Birla conferred ABLF Global Asian award .................................................................. 25
1.61 11th edition of Infosys prize announced ................................................................................................ 25
1.62 Arvind Singh takes over as AAI chairman .............................................................................................. 25
1.63 Sanjay Gupta named country manager at Google India......................................................................... 25
1.64 Coast Guard conducts two-day rescue exercise off Goa shore .............................................................. 25
1.65 Rajasthan Patrika group chairman Gulab Kothari awarded Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award by PCI ............ 26
1.66 Indian Railways launches 3 online applications for all-India rollout to strengthen IT enablement .......... 26
1.67 NASA unveils its first electric airplane ................................................................................................... 26
1.68 Wildlife Biologist Ullas Karanth awarded George Schaller lifetime award .............................................. 26
1.69 November 10th 2019 :World Science Day for Peace and Development .................................................. 26
1.70 8th Session of governing body of Seed Treaty held at FAO Headquarters.............................................. 27

1.71 ‘Def Connect 2019’ organised at New Delhi .......................................................................................... 27
1.72 India- ASEAN business summit held in New Delhi ................................................................................. 27
1.73 India Pavilion inaugurated at ADIPEC .................................................................................................... 27
1.74 27th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) inaugurated at Kolkata ......... 27
1.75 6th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance was held ........................................................... 27
1.76 HADR Exercise TIGER TRIUMPH commenced at Visakhapatnam ........................................................... 28
1.77 1st Sanskrit Bharati Vishwa Sammelan held in New Delhi ..................................................................... 28
1.78 Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises resigned ..................................................... 28
1.79 Former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan passes away .............................................................. 28
1.80 Indian Oil to set up new 2G Ethanol Plant in Panipat ............................................................................ 28
1.81 Newly discovered species of ‘spider’ named after Sachin Tendulkar ..................................................... 28
1.82 National Education Day celebrated on 11th November......................................................................... 29
1.83 Gujarat government gives nod for world’s first CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar .................................. 29
1.84 Justice Sanjay Karol takes oath as Chief Justice of Patna High Court...................................................... 29
1.85 Delhi HC judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal appointed CCI member............................................................. 29
1.86 International Lavi Fair inaugurated in Shimla ........................................................................................ 29
1.87 Suranga Bawadi on World Monument Watch list.................................................................................. 29
1.88 World Pneumonia Day observed on 12th November ............................................................................ 30
1.89 Public Service Broadcasting Day observed on 12 November ................................................................. 30
1.90 SpaceX launches 60 mini satellites for cheaper global Internet ............................................................. 30
1.91 Sri Lanka becomes first South Asian nation to criminalise match fixing & sports betting ....................... 30
1.92 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev celebrated on 12th November 2019 .................................. 30
1.93 Virat Kohli remains top batsman, Jasprit Bumrah top bowler................................................................ 30
1.94 Shane Watson appointed president of Australian Cricketers’ Association ............................................. 30
1.95 Prakash Javadekar takes charge as Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister ............................ 30
1.96 ITDC appoints Kamala Vardhana Rao as its new Chairman and MD ....................................................... 31
1.97 Unilever appoints Nils Andersen as new Chairman ............................................................................... 31
1.98 Nita Ambani Becomes 1st Indian Trustee to be elected to Board of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of
Art 31
1.99 World Kindness Day observed on 13th November ................................................................................ 31
1.100 Amazon introduces 'Project Zero' in India to block counterfeit goods ............................................... 31
1.101 International Conference on Yoga for Heart care organised at Mysuru, Karnataka ............................ 31
1.102 Indo-French Joint Training Exercise Shakti– 2019 .............................................................................. 31
1.103 CSIR-IMTECH signs MOU with IIT Bombay for collaborative research ................................................ 32
1.104 Ravi Prakash wins BRICS-Young Innovator Prize ................................................................................ 32
1.105 Robert De Niro to be conferred with SAG Life Achievement award ................................................... 32
1.106 Karabi Gogoi selected as assistant naval attache in India's Moscow Embassy .................................... 32

1.107 Ms. Padmaja has been accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of Tonga 32
1.108 India’s first signal fish discovered off Kerala coast ............................................................................. 32
1.109 IIT-Guwahati scientists develop paper based sensor to check milk quality at home........................... 33
1.110 Pravind Jugnauth sworn in as Mauritius PM...................................................................................... 33
1.111 Justice Muhammad Raffiq takes oath as Chief Justice of Meghalaya High court ................................ 33
1.112 Jeanine Anez declares herself Bolivia interim President .................................................................... 33
1.113 Tobacco Board receives Golden Leaf Award 2019 ............................................................................. 33
1.114 India set to host World Kabaddi cup 2019 ......................................................................................... 33
1.115 Nilam Sawhney appointed as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh ...................................................... 33
1.116 UP government launches e-Ganna app and web portal ..................................................................... 33
1.117 World Diabetes Day observed on 14th November 2019 .................................................................... 34
1.118 India ranked fourth in the 14th Asian Championship Shooting .......................................................... 34
1.119 Noted singer Cochin Azad passed away ............................................................................................ 34
1.120 Dutee Chand named in TIME 100 Next list ........................................................................................ 34
1.121 UP Police bags 3rd prize for response to emergency among 500 forces ............................................ 34
1.122 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is 2020 Republic Day chief guest ................................................... 34
1.123 KPMG, NIIT launch finance academy ................................................................................................. 34
1.124 West Bengal celebrates ‘Rosogolla Day’ to mark GI tag granting ....................................................... 34
1.125 Noted mathematician Vashishtha Singh has passed away ................................................................. 35
1.126 Bhopal gas tragedy activist Abdul Jabbar passes away ...................................................................... 35
1.127 Ministry of Tourism participates in the 3 day China International Travel Mart .................................. 35
1.128 Conference of Ministers and Secretaries of States and UTs in charge of Youth Affairs and Sports held
35
1.129 Sisseri River Bridge connecting Dibang Valley and Siang in Arunachal Pradesh inaugurated .............. 35
1.130 First ever International Buyer- Seller Meet held in Arunachal Pradesh .............................................. 35
1.131 DPIIT establishes Development Council for Bicycle ........................................................................... 35
1.132 India to host the 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics in New Delhi ...................... 35
1.133 Venkaiah Naidu released the book – ‘Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past’ in New Delhi ............ 36
1.134 Home Minister launches winter-grade diesel suitable for extreme winters for Ladakh Region .......... 36
1.135 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) ................................................................ 36
1.136 Joint Exercise between the Qatari Emiri Navy and the Indian Navy Forces ........................................ 36
1.137 National Mission on Cultural Mapping .............................................................................................. 36
1.138 Darjeeling's green and white teas get GI tag ..................................................................................... 36
1.139 4th India International Cherry Blossom Festival concludes at Shillong ............................................... 36
1.140 Muthoot Finance to buy IDBI Bank’s MF business ............................................................................. 36
1.141 NDRF to train unit to save heritage structures .................................................................................. 37
1.142 Sudarsan Pattnaik becomes first Indian to win prestigious Italian award for sand art ........................ 37

1.143 Japanese spacecraft starts year-long journey home from asteroid .................................................... 37
1.144 Gotabaya Rajapaksa takes oath as Sri Lankan President .................................................................... 37
1.145 Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan takes oath as Chief Justice of Jharkhand HC ................................................... 37
1.146 India to host the 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics in New Delhi ...................... 37
1.147 Harmeet Desai claims Indonesia Open TT Championship .................................................................. 37
1.148 National Agrochemicals Congress concluded in New Delhi ................................................................ 37
1.149 Indian Govt Prepares To Battle Fake News With New Module FACT .................................................. 38
1.150 David Attenborough to get Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2019 .............................................................. 38
1.151 GRSE delivers ICGS 'Amrit Kaur’ to Indian Coast Guard...................................................................... 38
1.152 Stefanos Tsitsipas becomes youngest Greek tennis player to win ATP finals 2019 ............................. 38
1.153 UNESCO World Heritage Week observed from 19th-25th, 2019 ........................................................ 38
1.154 World Toilet Day observed on 19th November ................................................................................. 38
1.155 World Conference on access to Medical Products achieving the SDGs 2030 held .............................. 38
1.156 Google acquires software firm CloudSimple...................................................................................... 39
1.157 Sarita Devi elected as member of AIBA athletes commission ............................................................ 39
1.158 Pak successfully test fires Shaheen-1 surface-to-surface ballistic missile ........................................... 39
1.159 NTPC wins the ‘Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability’ 2019 ........................................................ 39
1.160 Virat Kohli wins PETA India’s ‘Person of the Year’ award ................................................................... 39
1.161 World Children’s day observed on 20th November ........................................................................... 39
1.162 IAAF changes name to World Athletics ............................................................................................. 39
1.163 India-Pakistan Davis Cup tie match in Kazakhstan ............................................................................. 40
1.164 17th November : The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims ...................................... 40
1.165 Venu Srinivasan becomes first Indian to get Deming award .............................................................. 40
1.166 Arun Alagappan takes over as MD of Cholamandalam Investment .................................................... 40
1.167 Women's boxing icon Nicola Adams retires due to medical advice .................................................... 40
1.168 Junior National Athletics Championship ............................................................................................ 40
1.169 Goa: Indian Coast Guard conducted ReSAREX-2019 .......................................................................... 41

1.170 Book titled “Kashmir” by Historian Chitralekha Zutshi released......................................................... 41
1.171 8th International Tourism Mart at Imphal, Manipur ........................................................................... 41
2 GA + ESI in news........................................................................................................................................... 42
2.1 Coal India Limited observed its 45th Foundation Day ............................................................................ 42
2.2 UAN Registration, E-Inspection and DIGI Locker apps launched ............................................................ 42
2.3 Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) to launch Online Hackathon on
Data-driven Innovation for Citizen Grievance Redressal ................................................................................... 42
2.4 Maps of newly formed Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh released ................................ 43
2.5 Government of India to set up & strengthen AHTUs & WHDs in states across the country .................... 43
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2.6 Odisha tagged with Maharashtra under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat .................................................... 44
2.7 Guyana GDP to grow fourteen times as fast as China’s next year: IMF .................................................. 44
2.8 India’s economy to grow 6.6% in 2020-24: OECD .................................................................................. 44
2.9 'Red Atlas Map' unveiled for flood mitigation in Chennai ...................................................................... 45
2.10 President launches IIT Delhi’s ₹250 crore alumni endowment fund ...................................................... 45
2.11 Tamil Nadu to ink pact on renewable energy with Massachusetts ........................................................ 45
2.12 Germany to invest €1 billion for green urban mobility in India .............................................................. 46
2.13 IMF approves release of $164 million tranche to Sri Lanka.................................................................... 46
2.14 Odisha's first eco village on Mahanadi banks created ........................................................................... 46
2.15 Unemployment rate in India rose to a three-year high of 8.5% in Oct: CMIE ......................................... 46
2.16 Ministry of Shipping announces first ever movement of container cargo on Brahmaputra .................... 46
2.17 Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship launches Skills Build platform in Collaboration with
IBM 47
2.18 ADB clears $451-m loan for power connectivity in Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor................ 47
2.19 India withdraws from RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) ...................................... 47
2.20 Bihar bans 15-year-old government cars .............................................................................................. 48
2.21 6th Parliamentary Speakers Summit of G20 Countries held at Tokyo .................................................... 48
2.22 CAIT to launch a nation-wide movement against Amazon and Flipkart ................................................. 48
2.23 International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate Smart Agriculture and
Global Food & Livelihood Security held ............................................................................................................ 49
2.24 Commerce & Industry Minister launched curtain raiser of GES 2019..................................................... 49
2.25 Rising Himachal 2019: Global Investors meet in Dharamshala .............................................................. 49
2.26 ‘Wastelands Atlas’ – 2019 released with robust geospatial information ................................................ 49
2.27 Siemens signs agreements with NTPC, TERI for Decarbonization .......................................................... 50
2.28 Eritrea, Saint Kittis & Nevis sign ISA Framework Agreement.................................................................. 50
2.29 Kanpur is world’s most polluted city: Guinness World Record 2020 ...................................................... 50
2.30 8th Indo German Energy Forum (IGEF) 2019 held in Delhi .................................................................... 50
2.31 Odisha government signs pact with Tata Strive, Tech Mahindra for skill upgradation ........................... 50
2.32 Khadi gets separate unique HS code, export to get a boost ................................................................... 51
2.33 Shaala Darpan portal for Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti launched by Minister of State for HRD................. 51
2.34 19th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-
M&MTC) meeting takes place in Russia............................................................................................................ 51
2.35 First ever ‘BIMSTEC Ports’ Conclave’ in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh............................................ 52
2.36 CSR: RBS Earth Heroes Awards ............................................................................................................. 52
2.37 Fitch raises India's FY20 fiscal deficit forecast to 3.6% of GDP ............................................................... 53
2.38 India gained $755 million in additional exports to US due to US-China trade war: UNCTAD [Globalizatio
53
2.39 Moody's cuts India's credit outlook to negative .................................................................................... 53
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2.40 Nomura slashes India's FY20 GDP forecast to 4.9% from 5.7% earlier ................................................... 53
2.41 Andhra Pradesh set to introduce English medium in govt schools ......................................................... 54
2.42 IIT-Madras launches country’s first standing wheelchair ....................................................................... 54
2.43 National Mission for Clean Ganga organizes 'Ganga Utsav' in Delhi....................................................... 54
2.44 FSSAI releases draft regulations titled Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and healthy diets
for School Children) Regulations, 2019 ............................................................................................................. 54
2.45 Vice President of India inaugurates 10th Asian Conference of Emergency Medicine .............................. 55
2.46 Cabinet opens Rs 25,000 crore window for stuck houses ...................................................................... 55
2.47 19th IORA Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting in Abu Dhabi................................................................. 57
2.48 Skill India certifies 500 skilled candidates formally under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) ............... 57
2.49 Government of India issues Steel Scrap Recycling Policy ....................................................................... 58
2.50 IndAIR: CSIR-NEERI’s web facility launched ........................................................................................... 59
2.51 IOCL gets Environment Ministry’s clearance to set up 2G ethanol plant in Panipat ............................... 59
2.52 Prime Minister attended BRICS Summit at Brazil .................................................................................. 59
2.53 “Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan” launched ........................................................................................... 60
2.54 Mihir Shah Committee to draft new water policy ................................................................................. 60
2.55 Anaemia among men in India: The Lancet global health ....................................................................... 60
2.56 Centre gives nod for four medical device parks ..................................................................................... 61
2.57 Jammu and Kashmir government sets up panel to declare Dal Lake as eco-sensitive zone .................... 61
2.58 India to host Shanghai Summit's Heads of Government Council Meet In 2020 ...................................... 61
2.59 President’s rule imposed in Maharashtra.............................................................................................. 61
2.60 Suicides by daily wage earners rose between 2014 and 2016: Report ................................................... 62
2.61 ESIC to partner PMJAY to Provide Medical Care to ESIC beneficiaries.................................................... 63
2.62 India gets USD 43 million from Green Climate Fund to boost climate resilience in 3 coastal states ....... 63
2.63 Delhi government launches Mukhya Mantri Septic Tank Safai Yojana ................................................... 63
2.64 Andhra Pradesh CM launches 'Nadu-Nedu' programme to transform School Education ....................... 64
2.65 Assam gets a mobile app to lodge complaints about child rights violation ............................................ 64
2.66 Global bribery risk matrix 2019 released............................................................................................... 64
2.67 India's children face lifelong health burden of climate change: Lancet report ....................................... 65
2.68 India extends $28-mn aid to Nepal for rebuilding earthquake-hit houses ............................................. 66
2.69 Skill Development Minister announced ‘India Skills 2020’ ..................................................................... 66
2.70 40th UNESCO General Conference held in Paris .................................................................................... 66
2.71 2nd edition of Paris Peace Forum held .................................................................................................. 66
2.72 39th India International Trade Fair begins at New Delhi ........................................................................ 67
2.73 India has Second-highest number of pneumonia deaths of children under age five: UNICEF ................. 67
2.74 National Mission 'NISHTHA' launched in J&K ........................................................................................ 67
2.75 European Investment Bank will stop funding fossil fuel projects by end of 2021 ................................... 68
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2.76 AIIB to give $500-mn loan for Mumbai rail, $75 mn for renewable projects .......................................... 68
2.77 CBI sets up specialised unit to tackle child porn .................................................................................... 68
2.78 Brown to Green Report 2019 released.................................................................................................. 69
2.79 Release of Water Quality Report for State Capitals & Delhi ................................................................... 69
2.80 Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the National Tribal Festival 'Aadi Mahotsav'............................................... 70
2.81 Election Commission to set up visiting chair in memory of former CEC TN Seshan ................................ 70
2.82 Regional conference on 'Replication of Good Governance Practices' in J&K and Ladakh concludes ....... 71
2.83 Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates 6th National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices and Innovations in
Public Health Care Systems .............................................................................................................................. 71
2.84 Inauguration of KPCS Plenary 2019 ....................................................................................................... 71
2.85 ADB, India Sign $91 Million Loan for Comprehensive Water Management in Karnataka ....................... 72
2.86 29th Regional Contact Points (RCP) meeting of Asia Pacific (A/P) region of the World Customs
Organization (WCO) in Puducherry .................................................................................................................. 72
2.87 Atal Innovation Mission launched by government in schools to cultivate 1 million children in India as
Neoteric Innovators ......................................................................................................................................... 73
2.88 National Gas Pipeline is Operational ..................................................................................................... 73
2.89 Various initiatives of Ministry of HRD to promote Fit India Movement.................................................. 74
2.90 Modernisation of Employment Exchanges ............................................................................................ 74
2.91 Credit Exposure of MSMEs ................................................................................................................... 75
2.92 Union Minister for Rural Development Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates SARAS IITF 2019 ......... 75
2.93 NITI Aayog releases Report on Building a 21st Century Health System for India .................................... 76
2.94 WCD Ministry launches Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh ........................................................................... 76
2.95 Inclusion of New Tribes Under ST List ................................................................................................... 77
2.96 Indian Institute of Skills ........................................................................................................................ 77
2.97 India’s Travel & Tourism competitiveness Index ranking has improved since 2013 and in 2019 it has
bagged 34th position in 2019 ............................................................................................................................ 78
2.98 Private Schools Providing Education to Tribal Students ......................................................................... 78
2.99 Home Ministry Launches Campaign To End Violence Against Women................................................... 79
2.100 SAANS campaign launched to curb pneumonia deaths in kids ........................................................... 79
2.101 India extends Visa-on-Arrival facility to UAE nationals ...................................................................... 80
2.102 ICMR inks deal with US body, Gates Foundation for healthcare research collaboration..................... 80
2.103 Pakistan becomes first country to introduce new vaccine to combat typhoid ................................... 80
2.104 Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by the Parliament.................... 81
2.105 'Road Accidents in India-2018’ report released ................................................................................. 81
2.106 2nd South Asia Safety Summit held in New Delhi .............................................................................. 82
2.107 Haryana to set up new Foreign Cooperation department.................................................................. 83
2.108 IRCTC inks MoU with Karnataka tourism to run Golden Chariot train ................................................ 83
2.109 Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2019 ...................................................................................... 83
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2.110 Indian Steel Association to organise ISA – Steel Conclave 2019 ......................................................... 84
2.111 UP to raise Rs 7,000 crore from banks for 296-km Bundelkhand Expressway .................................... 84
2.112 Health ministry signs pact with Gates Foundation for support in innovation ..................................... 84
2.113 Assam Olympic Association will launch 'Grassroot Olympic - Mission Talent Hunt' to groom talent .. 85
2.114 ‘Hynniewtrep national liberation council’ banned by central government......................................... 85
2.115 EU offers technical assistance to Pakistan for FATF action plan implementation ............................... 85
2.116 India sent over 202,000 students to U.S. in 2018-19, second largest after China: report ................... 86
2.117 World Bank submits master plan for $300-m logistics infra development in Kolkata ......................... 86
2.118 PSU insurance companies merger to be complete by December 2019 .............................................. 87
2.119 15th Governing Council of South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme 2019 (SACEP) held in
Dhaka, Bangladesh........................................................................................................................................... 87
2.120 Dr. Vinaya Shetty : IODA's First Indian and Asian General Vice President........................................... 88
2.121 Coal Minister announces 300% increase in Ex-Gratia for fatal Coal Mine Accidents ......................... 88
2.122 Exim Bank gives USD 30 mn line of credit to Ghana .......................................................................... 89
2.123 The India Justice Report 2019 released by Tata Trust ........................................................................ 89
2.124 “No Money For Terror” conference in Melbourne, Australia ............................................................. 90
2.125 Enrollment of Persons with Disabilities under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) .......... 91
2.126 MoS DoNER inaugurates 'Destination North East' festival in Varanasi ............................................... 91
2.127 Export Development Fund ................................................................................................................ 91
2.128 Adarsh Railway Stations.................................................................................................................... 92
2.129 50th Conference of Governors in New Delhi ..................................................................................... 92
2.130 Mahila Sashaktikaran Scheme........................................................................................................... 92
2.131 NSS report no.584: Drinking-water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Housing condition in India, NSS 76th
round (July –December 2018) .......................................................................................................................... 93
2.132 Periodic Labour Force Survey: Quarterly Bulletin .............................................................................. 94
2.133 Household social consumption in India: Health NSS 75th round ........................................................ 95
2.134 All India Institute of Ayurveda Signs MoU with Western Sydney University Australia ........................ 96
3 GA + Finance in news ................................................................................................................................... 97
3.1 Rs 95,380 crore gross GST Revenue collected in October ...................................................................... 97
3.2 E-Stamp Counter launched at Tripura Gramin Bank in Agartala............................................................. 97
3.3 Issue of additional instruments for augmenting regulatory capital for RRBs .......................................... 97
3.4 Government unveils two IT initiatives for faster clearance of Imported Goods ..................................... 98
3.5 MSTC ties up with Allahabad Bank to develop e-auction platform ........................................................ 99
3.6 RBI tightens variables pay norms for private bank CEOs........................................................................ 99
3.7 SEBI enhances governance norms of rating agencies .......................................................................... 100
3.8 RBI has tightened NBFC liquidity norms .............................................................................................. 100
3.9 RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank Limited ............................ 101
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3.10 Sebi revives eKYC procedure for mutual fund investors ...................................................................... 101
3.11 GeM partners with Indian Bank and Canara Bank for payment related services .................................. 102
3.12 GeM Partners with Central Bank of India for Payment Related Services .............................................. 102
3.13 FM chairs 21st Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) ............................. 103
3.14 DIN System of CBIC to come into force 8th November ......................................................................... 103
3.15 RBI panel proposes stricter rules for core investment companies ....................................................... 103
3.16 RBI slaps penalty on Gujarat-based Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank ............................................. 104
3.17 SEBI asks MFs to report any changes in terms of investments to rating agencies ................................ 104
3.18 SEBI taps finance ministry over new tag for foreign-owned MFs ......................................................... 105
3.19 RBI announces slew of measures to push digital payments in India..................................................... 105
3.20 RBI withdraws certain exemptions from Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) ...................................... 106
3.21 India’s GDP likely to grow 5% this fiscal: SBI report ............................................................................. 107
3.22 FICCI signs Fintech MoU with Singapore ............................................................................................. 107
3.23 Moody's downgrades global sovereign rating outlook for 2020 to negative ........................................ 107
3.24 NCDEX launches agri-futures index AGRIDEX in tie-up with NSE Indices .............................................. 107
3.25 SEBI allows exchanges to modify commodity derivatives contracts ..................................................... 107
3.26 Reserve Bank unveils ‘on tap’ guidelines for institutions to get financial aid from DEAP ...................... 108
3.27 Karnataka Bank launches CASA campaign ........................................................................................... 108
3.28 HDFC Bank tops ₹7 trillion market capitalization................................................................................. 108
3.29 Ministry of Corporate Affairs has notified Insolvency and Bankruptcy Rules, 2019 .............................. 109
3.30 NBFCs with Rs 500 cr assets can go for insolvency resolution .............................................................. 110
3.31 FPIs infuse ₹19,203 crore into Indian capital markets in November 2019 ............................................ 110
3.32 Nirmala Sitharaman kicks off drill to make GST return filing easier ..................................................... 110
3.33 Company Law Committee-2019 submits its report to Finance Minister .............................................. 111
3.34 RBI slaps Rs 2.50-crore fine on Bank of Baroda over non-compliance.................................................. 111
3.35 Reserve Bank of India imposes monetary penalty on Indian Bank ....................................................... 111
3.36 RBI turns down banks' plea to relax June 7 circular on stressed assets ................................................ 112
3.37 Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches Instant Digital Savings and Instant Fixed Deposit Account .......... 112
3.38 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches 'Farmitra' mobile app for farmers ........................................ 112
3.39 RBI plans 'college of supervisors' to prevent 'PMC Bank-like crisis'...................................................... 113
3.40 CBDT Chairman inaugurates Web Portal for exchange of information on Income Tax Website ........... 113
3.41 Basel III Capital Regulations- Review of transitional arrangements...................................................... 114
3.42 Regional Rural Banks - Priority Sector Lending – Targets and Classification updated by RBI ................. 114
3.43 RBI issues directions to ECBs, Trade Credits and Structured Obligations.............................................. 115
3.44 RBI to inject Rupee liquidity through long term USD/INR Buy/Sell Swap auction ................................. 115
3.45 Investment by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) in Debt ...................................................................... 116
3.46 Foreign Exchange Management (Export and import of Currency) (Amendment) Regulations, 2019 .... 117
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3.47 Investment by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) in Government Securities Medium Term Framework . 117
3.48 Reserve Bank of India (Prevention of Market Abuse) Directions, 2019 ................................................ 118
3.49 Single deposit of Rs 2 cr and more to qualify as ‘bulk deposit’: RBI ..................................................... 119
3.50 RBI allows non-residents to participate in rupee interest rate derivatives market ............................... 119
3.51 Interest Subvention Scheme for MSMEs ............................................................................................. 119
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1 GA in News:
1.1 Various states celebrated their ‘Formation Day’ on 1st November

• Recently, states of Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka
celebrated their ‘Formation Day’ on 1st November.
• Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka were formed on 1st November, 1956 under the
States Reorganisation Act.
• Haryana was formed on the 1st of November 1966.
• Chhattisgarh was formed on 1st November 2000.
1.2 UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in
the field of ‘Film’ and Hyderabad in the field of ‘Gastronomy’
• Recently, UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities
Network (UCCN) in the field of ‘Film’ and Hyderabad in the field of ‘Gastronomy’.
• Previously, 3 Indian cities were recognized as members of UCCN, namely-
1. Jaipur-Crafts and Folk Arts (2015)
2. Varanasi-Creative city of Music (2015)
3. Chennai-Creative city of Music (2017)
1.3 India & Germany sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding Museums of India and
Germany
• Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding regarding cooperation between the Museums
of India and Germany has been signed.
• It includes cooperation between the National Museum Delhi, the National Gallery of Modern
Art Delhi, the Indian Museum Kolkata, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
Stauffenbergstr, Berlin and the Stiftung Humboldt Forum im Berliner Schloss, Berlin.
1.4 Lt Gen Anup Banerji takes charge as DG AFMS

• Recently, Lt Gen Anup Banerji has assumed office as Director General in Armed Forces
Medical Services (DG AFMS).
• He was appointed the President's Honorary Surgeon (PHS) in January, 2019.
1.5 Air Marshal Amit Dev takes over as Air Officer-in-charge Personnel at Air Headquarters
• Recently, Air Marshal Amit Dev has taken over as Air Officer-in-charge Personnel at Air
Headquarters.
• He was commissioned in the flying branch of IAF on Dec 29, 1982 as a fighter pilot.
1.6 B. Suresh took over as AOC-in-C of Western Air Command

• Recently, Air Marshal B Suresh has taken over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief
(AOC-in-C) of the Western Air Command (WAC).
1.7 7th INDIA - US Economic and Financial Partnership meeting held

• Recently, 7th Meeting of the Economic and Financial Partnership (EFP) meeting was held in
New Delhi.
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• It was held between the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of India and the Department of
the Treasury, United States of America.
1.8 Google to buy Fitbit for $2.1 bn

• Recently, Google has announced that it will buy wearable device maker Fitbit Inc. for $2.1
billion.
• Fitbit, Inc. is an American company headquartered in San Francisco, California.
1.9 Anand bags coveted Ezhuthachan Award 2019

• Noted writer Anand has been selected for the 27th Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest
literary honour of the Kerala government.
• He has been selected for the award considering his contributions to the language and its
literature.
1.10 S.P. Balasubrahmanyam selected for Chetana Award 2019

• Recently, eminent singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam has been selected for the Chetana Silver
Jubilee National Award.
• Oscar winning Sound Engineer Resul Pookutty won the National Audio Excellence Award.
1.11 Mukesh Kumar Gupta, Raj Kumar appointed as LIC managing directors
• Recently, Mukesh Kumar Gupta and Raj Kumar have taken charge as managing directors of
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
• T C Susheel Kumar and Vipin Anand are the other two MDs of LIC.
1.12 Rajinikanth to be conferred with Icon of Golden Jubilee Award at IFFI

• South Indian superstar Rajinikanth will be conferred with the 'Icon of Golden Jubilee
Award' for his outstanding contribution in Indian cinema at the 50th International Film
Festival of India (IFFI).
• It has been also announced that French actor Isabelle Hupert will also be honoured at the
festival with "Life Time Achievement Award" for a 'foreign artiste'.
1.13 Odisha Artist Sudarsan Patnaik picked for Italian Golden Sand Art Award
• Internationally-acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik has been selected for the prestigious
Italian Golden Sand Art Award 2019.
• He will be honoured during the International Scorrana Sand Nativity in Italy.
1.14 Indian-origin researcher Neeraj Sharma awarded by Australian government

• Recently, Indian-origin researcher Neeraj Sharma has been given the 'Early Career
Researcher of the Year' award by the Australian government.
• It has been given for developing next-generation battery systems such as sodium-ion battery
that will leave minimal environmental impact.
1.15 South Africa defeated England to win 3rd Rugby World Cup
• Recently, South Africa has defeated England in the finals to win the 9th edition of the
Rugby world Cup 2019.
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• It was held at International Stadium, Yokohama, Japan.
1.16 Former Karnataka Minister Vaijanath Patil dies at 81

• Recently, former minister of Karnataka Horata Samithi ‘Vaijanath Patil’ died in Bengaluru.
• He was a popular social leader who fought for special status for Kalyana Karnataka.
1.17 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists observed on 2nd November
• International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is observed annually on 2nd
November.
• It was proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly under Resolution A/RES/68/163.
• The campaign for 2019 is #KeepTruthAlive.
1.18 PM addressed ‘Sawasdee PM Modi’ community programme in Bangkok

• Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed ‘Sawasdee PM Modi’ community
programme in Bangkok.
• Several Members of Indian diaspora in Thailand participated in the event.
1.19 Thai translation of ‘Tirukkural’ and Commemorative Coins marking Guru Nanak’s 550th Birth
Anniversary released
• Recently, PM Modi unveiled Thai translation of Thiruvalluvar’s Tamil classic ‘Tirukkural’.
• He also released commemorative coins to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
1.20 Meiraba Luwang clinches title in Korea Junior Open

• Recently, Maisnam Meiraba Luwang has clinched the boys’ singles U-19 title at the
Woncheon Yonex Korea Junior Open International Challenge 2019 which was held in
Miryang, Korea.
• Sathish Kumar Karunakaran has won the bronze medal in the same category.
1.21 IIT-Delhi to partner with ISRO to set up space technology cell

• Recently, it has been announced that IIT-D and ISRO will jointly set up ISRO Space
Technology Cell at IIT-Delhi.
• The cell will work towards carrying out focused research projects in the space technology
domain with specific deliverables.
1.22 SCO Joint Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue Exercise (SCOJTEX)-2019 inaugurated
• Recently, Union Minister of Home Affair inaugurated the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search & Rescue (SCOJtEx-2019) at New
Delhi.
• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is hosting the SCOJTEX exercise of all 8 SCO
member countries.
• The exercise will be conducted as per International Search & Rescue Advisory Group
(INSARAG) methodology & guidelines.
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1.23 Sara Damnjanovic crowned Miss Asia Global 2019
• Recently, Serbia’s Sara Damnjanovic has been crowned the ‘Miss Asia Global 2019’ at the
international beauty contest held in Kochi, Kerala.
• Apart from this, Nguyen Thi Yen Trang of Vietnam won the ‘Miss Asia’ title and Samiksha
Singh from India was felicitated with the sub-title of ‘Miss Beautiful Face’.
1.24 Official Emblem Unveiled For FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020
• Recently, the official emblem for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020 was
unveiled at the Gateway of India in Mumbai.
• The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020 will take place from 2-21 November.
1.25 Pooja Gehlot wins silver in UWW Under-23 World Championships

• Recently, Pooja Gehlot (53kg) in wrestling has won silver medal in the finals of the UWW
Under-23 World Championships in Budapest.
• Pooja lost 0-2 to Okuno in the summit clash.
1.26 Madrid to host 25th UN climate summit in December

• Recently, it has been announced that Madrid will host the 25th United Nations Climate
Change summit (COP25) from December 2 to 13 after Chile’s resignation.
• The conference had been set to take place in Santiago, Chile, but the President Sebastian
Pinera decided to call it off because of the unrest in the capital.
1.27 "eCAPA 2019 - Art from the Heart"- First-ever Arts Exposition for talents with intellectual
challenges
• Recently, India’s first-ever Arts Exposition for Artists blessed with Down syndrome, Autism,
Mental Retardation, Seizure Disorder and Dyslexia was inaugurated in New Delhi.
• "eCAPA 2019 - Art from the Heart" is a unique nationwide platform cum social venture for
such artists to showcase their visual and performing arts.
1.28 Biennial Commonwealth Law Ministers Conference held in Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Recently, the biennial Commonwealth Law Ministers Conference was held in Colombo, Sri
Lanka.
• Theme for the year 2019: Equal Access to Justice and the Rule of Law.
• Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad represented India at the conference.
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1.29 Madhuri Vijay wins JCB Prize for Literature 2019
• Recently, Madhuri Vijay has won the JCB Prize for Literature 2019 for her debut novel, The
Far Field.
• JCB Prize for Literaure is the richest literary honour in India, awarded annually to a
distinguished work of fiction by an Indian writer working in English or translated fiction by an
Indian writer.
1.30 Industrialist and son of Modinagar's founder, K K Modi passes away

• Recently, Krishan Kumar Modi has passed away. He was the eldest son of Rai Bahadur
Gujarmal Modi- Founder of the city of Modinagar.
• He was also a former president of FICCI.
1.31 World U-23 Wrestling championship held in Budapest, Hungary

• Recently, World U-23 Wrestling Championship was held in Budapest, Hungary from
October 23- Nov 3.
• It was organised by United World Wrestling (UWW).
1.32 IndusInd Bank finalises Sumant Kathpalia as new MD & CEO

• Recently, Sumant Kathpalia has been appointed as new MD & CEO of IndusInd Bank.
• He will replace Romesh Sobti as MD & CEO.
About IndusInd Bank
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Tagline: We Make You Feel Richer
1.33 PM attends 16th India - ASEAN Summit in Bangkok

• Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi attended the 16th ASEAN-India Summit in
Bangkok, Thailand.
• Vietnam will take over as Chairman of next year’s Summit.
1.34 AYUSH Minister inaugurates National Research Institute of Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders
• Recently, AYUSH Minister Shri Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated National Research Institute of
Unani Medicine for Skin Disorders upgraded from Central Research Institute of Unani
Medicine at Erragadda, Hyderabad.
1.35 Fifth India International Science Festival inaugurated at Kolkata

• Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Fifth India International
Science Festival at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata.
• Theme (2019): RISEN India – Research, Innovation, and Science Empowering the Nation
• It is organised jointly by science and technology related Ministries and Departments of the
Government of India and Vijnana Bharati (Vibha).
• Vigyanika-International Science Literature Festival was also organised as part of the 5th India
International Science Festival (IISF) 2019 at Kolkata.
1.36 Satya Pal Malik takes oath as Goa Governor

• Recently, Satya Pal Malik has sworn in as the Governor of Goa.
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• He had earlier served as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, which has been bifurcated
into two Union Territories.
1.37 China launches new Earth observation satellite

• Recently, China has launched a new high-resolution remote sensing satellite named as
Gaofen-7 capable of providing stereoscopic imagery.
• It is a sub-metre resolution optical satellite, boasts the highest mapping accuracy among
domestic peers, and can map China and even the world’s lands stereoscopically with a
margin of error of less than a metre.
1.38 1st-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise - Dustlik-2019 begins

• Recently, the first-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise - Dustlik-2019 was
commenced at Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
• Also, India and Uzbekistan have signed three Memoranda of Understanding in the fields of
Military Medicine and Military Education recently.
1.39 IPS officer Aditya Mishra appointed chairman of Land Ports Authority of India
• Recently, Senior IPS officer Aditya Mishra has been appointed as the chairman of the Land
Ports Authority of India (LPAI).
• LPAI develops, sanitises and manage the facilities for cross-border movement of passengers
and goods at designated points along the international borders of India.
1.40 Pegasus spyware to spy on government officials and journalists

• Recently, WhatsApp has confirmed that a spyware named ‘Pegasus’ was being used by
Israel based company NSO Group to spy on government officials, journalists, activists,
lawyers, and various countries globally, including India.
• WhatsApp has confirmed that a certain number of Indian users were among those who could
have been a part of the cyber-attack that happened in May.
1.41 ATP Rankings: Rafael Nadal Returns to No. 1

• Recently, ATP rankings were released in which Rafael Nadal has return to the world number
one position for the eighth time in his career.
• Latest ATP rankings:
1. Rafael Nadal (Spain)
2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
3. Roger Federer (Switzerland)
• In women’s singles, Ashleigh Barty holds the top spot.
1.42 Sahitya Akademi publishes new anthology to mark 200 years of Indian English poetry
• Sahitya Akademi has published a new anthology called ‘Modern English Poetry by Younger
Indians’, which maps the contemporary poetry scene in India and the broader Indian
Diasporas to mark the 200 years of Indian English poetry.
• The anthology has been selected, introduced and edited by noted poet Sudeep Sen.
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1.43 US-Bangladesh Navy exercise inaugurated in Chattogram
• Recently, the second phase of the biggest US- Bangladesh Navy exercise named
'Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) - 2019' was commenced in
Chattogram, Bangladesh.
• The CARAT is a yearly exercise conducted between the navies of Bangladesh and United
States in the Bay of Bengal.
1.44 World Tsunami Awareness Day observed on 5th November

• After the 2004 deadliest Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the United Nations General Assembly
designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day from December 2015.
• Theme (2019): "Sendai Seven Campaign"
1.45 Ministry of Tourism participates in three day long World Travel Market (WTM) in London
• Recently, the Ministry of Tourism participated in the three day long World Travel Market
(WTM) in London, UK.
• The theme for India Pavilion at WTM (2019): ‘Incredible India – Find the Incredible India’.
1.46 Indian Railways celebrated Vigilance Awareness Week 2019

• Recently, Indian Railways observed Vigilance Awareness Week- 2019 from 28th October,
2019 to 02nd November 2019.
• Theme (2019): “Integrity- A way of life”
1.47 Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Launches Instant Digital Savings and Instant Fixed Deposit Account
• Recently, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launched Digital Savings Account along with Fixed
Deposit and Privilege Savings Account to offer distinctive banking and digital services to its
customers.
• Instant FD can be opened to a maximum of Rs. 1 Lakh without a Savings Account.
About Ujjivan Small Finance Bank
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Tagline: We believe in your belief
1.48 Tech Mahindra acquires New York-based BORN Group for $95 million
• Recently, Tech Mahindra Ltd has acquired BORN Group (a New York-based digital content
and production agency) for $95 million.
1.49 GRSE delivers fast patrol vessel ‘Annie Besant’ to Coast Guard
• Recently, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has delivered Fast Patrol
Vessel ‘Annie Besant’ to the Indian Coast Guard.
• This is the second in the series of five such ships.
1.50 Amy Kenealy retires from international cricket

• Recently, Ireland women's cricketer Amy Kenealy has announced her retirement from
international cricket.
• She made her debut in 2008 against West Indies.
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1.51 Olympics cycling champion Jacques DuPont died
• French cyclist Jacques Dupont, who won a gold medal at the 1948 Olympic Games in London,
has died recently.
1.52 Nagpur set to have India’s first four-layer transit intersection

• Nagpur is set to have India’s first four-level transit intersection on a stretch of Nagpur
Metro.
• National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has approved the Rs 573 crore proposal to
construct a flyover between the railway track and the Nagpur Metro.
1.53 Former Maharashtra minister Babasaheb Dhabekar dead

• Recently, Former Maharashtra minister Babasaheb Dhabekar has died after prolonged
illness.
• He was water resources minister during the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government in the 1990s.
1.54 India attends China's biggest import expo as 'Guest of Honour Country'
• Recently, China's 2nd International Import Expo (CIIE) was held in which India has been
accorded the status as the "Guest of Honour Country".
• India is among the fifteen nations given the symbolic designation of "Guest Countries of
Honour".
• The other countries are Cambodia, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Italy, Jamaica,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Peru, Russia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Zambia.
1.55 Philately exhibition ‘Mumbaipex 2019’ inaugurated on the theme ‘Gandhi and Mumbai’
• As a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary, a philately exhibition has
been organized in Mumbai.
• The exhibition is named as ‘Mumbaipex 2019’ and has been inaugurated by Governor of
Maharashtra Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
• Theme of the exhibition - ‘Gandhi and Mumbai’.
1.56 11th Bal Sangam to be organized by National School of Drama

• The Eleventh edition of Bal Sangam has taken place in New Delhi.
• The event is a confluence of folk and traditional art forms performed by children.
• Organized by - National School of Drama.
1.57 'Uttam Rake' launched on 69th Foundation Day of Western Railway

• On the 69th Foundation day of Western Railways, a Ladies Special local train from Churchgate
to Virar has been launched.
• The train is named “UTTAM RAKE” and has been built by Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.
1.58 Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan re-elected as President of UAE

• The Supreme Council of United Arab Emirates has re-elected Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Nahyan as its President.
• He has been appointed for a fourth five-year term.
• President Sheikh Khalifa was first elected President of the UAE on 3rd November, 2004.
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1.59 ‘Samudra Shakti : Bilateral Maritime Exercise of Indian and Indonesian Navy
• Bilateral Maritime Exercise between Indian Navy – Indonesian Navy has recently taken place
in the Bay of Bengal.
• The exercise is called ‘Samudra Shakti’.
• It has taken place in 2 phases – Harbour Phase and Sea Phase.
1.60 Kumar Mangalam Birla conferred ABLF Global Asian award
• The chairman of the Aditya Birla Group Kumar Mangalam Birla has been conferred the ABLF
Global Asian Award.
• The Asia Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) is backed by the government of United Arab
Emirates.
• Award given for -“powerful individual whose business footprint and commitment to
excellence have engaged international interest and attention”.
1.61 11th edition of Infosys prize announced

• The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) has announced the winners of the 11th edition of the
Infosys Prize 2019.
• It has been announced for six categories -
1. Engineering and Computer Science category - Sunita Sarawagi
2. Humanities category - Manu V. Devadevan
3. Life Sciences category - Manjula Reddy
4. Mathematical Sciences - Siddhartha Mishra
5. Physical Sciences - G. Mugesh
6. Social Sciences category - Anand Pandian
1.62 Arvind Singh takes over as AAI chairman

• Arvind Singh has been appointed as the chief of Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• He will replace Anuj Aggarwal.
1.63 Sanjay Gupta named country manager at Google India

• Google India has appointed Sanjay Gupta as its new country manager and vice-president of
sales and operations for India.
1.64 Coast Guard conducts two-day rescue exercise off Goa shore
• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has conducted the Regional Level Search and Rescue Workshop
and Exercise 2019 (ReSAREX- 19) off Goa coast.
• The exercise was conducted to test its efficiency and preparedness.
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1.65 Rajasthan Patrika group chairman Gulab Kothari awarded Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award by PCI
• Rajasthan Patrika group chairman Gulab Kothari has been chosen for the prestigious Raja Ram
Mohan Roy Award.
• He has been awarded for his outstanding contribution towards journalism
• This award is presented by the Press Council of India.
• Winners of the National Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2019 have also been announced:
1. Sanjay Saini and Raj Chengappa – 'Rural Journalism'
2. Krishn Kaushik and Sandeep Singh - 'Financial Reporting
3. P G Unnikrishnan and Akhil E S - 'Photo Journalism-Single News Picture'
4. Sipra Das - 'Photo Journalism-Photo Feature'
5. Saurabh Duggal - 'Sports Reporting'
6. Ruby Sarkar - ‘gender based reporting'
1.66 Indian Railways launches 3 online applications for all-India rollout to strengthen IT
enablement
• The apps have been launched to ensure proper monitoring of projects being undertaken by
Railways.
• The applications are :
1. CRS Sanction Management System
2. Rail-road crossing GAD approval system
3. TMS for construction aim at beefing up IT-enabled services
1.67 NASA unveils its first electric airplane

• NASA has showcased an early version of its first all-electric experimental aircraft – called the
X-57 “Maxwell”.
• It has been adapted from a Italian-made Tecnam P2006T twin-engine propeller plane.
• It will be NASA’s first crewed X-plane to be developed in two decades.
1.68 Wildlife Biologist Ullas Karanth awarded George Schaller lifetime award
• Wildlife biologist K. Ullas Karanth has been awarded the George Schaller Lifetime Award for
his contribution to the field of conservation.
• He is the first recipient of the award , which has been instituted by the Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS), New York.
• It has been instituted in the honour of Dr. George Schaller, one of the greatest wildlife
scientists and conservationists globally.
1.69 November 10th 2019 :World Science Day for Peace and Development
• The World Science Day for Peace and Development is celebrated every year on 10 November.
• Theme 2019 - "Open Science, leaving no one behind".
• The day was established by UNESCO in 2001 with the aim of highlighting the important role
of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging and
important contemporary issues relevant to science.
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1.70 8th Session of governing body of Seed Treaty held at FAO Headquarters
• Recently, 8th session of the governing body of International Treaty of Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) was held at Rome, Italy.
• ITPGRFA also known as Seed Treaty, is a comprehensive international agreement for ensuring
food security through the conservation, exchange and sustainable use of the world's plant
genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA).
• It also recognizes farmers' rights, subject to national laws.
1.71 ‘Def Connect 2019’ organised at New Delhi

• Recently, ‘Def Connect 2019’ was held at New Delhi.
• It was organised by Ministry of Defence to showcase the accomplishments of the Innovations
for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative.
1.72 India- ASEAN business summit held in New Delhi

• Recently, India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Summit 2019 was
held in New Delhi.
• Theme of the event (2019): “Today, Tomorrow, Together”
• The objective of the conference is to enhance the trade trajectory between India and ASEAN
nations to new highs.
1.73 India Pavilion inaugurated at ADIPEC

• Recently, India Pavilion was inaugurated at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum
Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).
• The India Pavilion has been set up by 9 Indian Oil & Gas companies, along with Federation of
Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI), Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) and
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
1.74 27th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) inaugurated at
Kolkata
• Recently, 27th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (COCSSO) was
inaugurated at Kolkata, West Bengal.
• Theme of the conference: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• It is a conference organized by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation,
Government of India every year.
1.75 6th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance was held
• Recently, 6th World Congress on Rural and Agriculture Finance was held in New Delhi.
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• It was jointly organised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
and Asia - Pacific Rural Agricultural and Credit Association (APRACA).
• Theme (2019)- Rural and Agricultural Finance: Critical Input to achieve Inclusive and
Sustainable Development
1.76 HADR Exercise TIGER TRIUMPH commenced at Visakhapatnam

• Recently, India US joint Tri services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
Exercise named ‘TIGER TRIUMPH’ was commenced at Vishakhapatnam.
1.77 1st Sanskrit Bharati Vishwa Sammelan held in New Delhi

• Recently, the first ever Sanskrit Bharati Vishwa Sammelan or Sanskrit World Conference was
organised in New Delhi.
• It was the first-of-its-kind global conference, which was organised by Samskrita Bharati, a
non-profit organisation (NGO) working for the continuing protection, development,
propagation and revival of Sanskrit language.
1.78 Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises resigned

• Recently, Arvind Sawant, who is Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
has resigned from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet.
• He is Shiv Sena Lok Sabha MP from South Mumbai.
1.79 Former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan passes away

• Recently, Former Chief Election Commissioner and former cabinet secretary T N Seshan has
passed away.
• He had also won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his services to the government in 1996.
1.80 Indian Oil to set up new 2G Ethanol Plant in Panipat

• Recently, the Indian Oil Corporation has received environment clearance from Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, to set up a new 2G Ethanol plant at Panipat.
• Indian Oil will invest Rs 766 crore in setting up the plant.
• The Ethanol produced in the plant will be exclusively used to blend transportation fuels.
1.81 Newly discovered species of ‘spider’ named after Sachin Tendulkar

• Recently, a newly discovered species of spider has been named after the Sachin Tendulkar
as ‘Marengo sachintendulkar’.
• The new species of spider has been discovered by Dhruv Prajapati.
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1.82 National Education Day celebrated on 11th November
• National Education Day is celebrated every year on 11 November in memory of Maulana
Abul Kalam Azad.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the first Education Minister of India.
1.83 Gujarat government gives nod for world’s first CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar
• Recently, Gujarat Government has given its nod to the world’s first CNG port terminal at
Bhavnagar.
• The proposed CNG port terminal will have annual capacity of 6 million metric tonne, which will
increased the total handling capacity of the port to 9 million metric tonnes.
• The consortium has proposed an investment of Rs.1,900 crore in two phases with Rs 1,300
crore in the first phase and Rs 600 crore in the second phase through the 'Swiss challenge'
method.
1.84 Justice Sanjay Karol takes oath as Chief Justice of Patna High Court
• Recently, Justice Sanjay Karol took oath as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court.
• Earlier, he was the chief justice of Tripura High Court.
1.85 Delhi HC judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal appointed CCI member

• Recently, Delhi High Court judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal has been appointed as the member
in Competition Commission of India.
About Competition Commission of India (CCI)
• It is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition
Act, 2002 throughout India and to prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect
on competition in India.
• Headquarters- New Delhi
1.86 International Lavi Fair inaugurated in Shimla

• Recently, International Lavi Fair was inaugurated at the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh.
• The governor of state also inaugurated ‘Kinnauri market’ and an exhibition organised by
various government departments.
1.87 Suranga Bawadi on World Monument Watch list

• Recently, a New York-based NGO ‘World Monuments fund’ has included ‘Suranga Bawadi’ in
the World Monument Watch list for 2020 along with 24 other monuments from across the
world.
• The monument has been selected under the ‘Ancient Water System of the Deccan Plateau’.
• With this, the Suranga Bawadi is expected to get funds for restoration within the next two
years.
About Suranga Bawadi
• Suranga Bawadi is an integral part of the ancient Karez system of supplying water through
subterranean tunnels built during Adil Shahi era in Vijayapura.
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1.88 World Pneumonia Day observed on 12th November
• Every year World Pneumonia Day is observed on 12th November to raise awareness about
pneumonia, how is it caused, treatment and prevention.
• Theme (2019): Healthy lungs for all
• It was established in 2009 by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia.
1.89 Public Service Broadcasting Day observed on 12 November

• Public Service Broadcasting Day is observed across India annually on 12 November.
• The day is observed every year to commemorate the first and last visit of the Father of the
Nation Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947.
1.90 SpaceX launches 60 mini satellites for cheaper global Internet

• Recently, Elon Musk-run SpaceX has launched 60 "Starlink" satellites into low-Earth orbit
that will bring cheaper Internet access to the world.
• The "Starlink" satellites will be deployed at an altitude of 280 km to beam broadband Internet
services.
1.91 Sri Lanka becomes first South Asian nation to criminalise match fixing & sports betting
• Recently, Sri Lanka has criminalised several offences related to match-fixing in an attempt to
stamp out the corruption scandals.
• Sri Lanka has become first country in South Asia to do so.
1.92 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev celebrated on 12th November 2019
• Recently, the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh guru and founder of Sikhism Guru
Nanak Dev was celebrated across the country as Prakash Parv.
1.93 Virat Kohli remains top batsman, Jasprit Bumrah top bowler
• In the latest ICC ODI Player Rankings for batsmen and bowlers, Indian skipper Virat Kohli and
Jasprit Bumrah have maintained their top spots in the latest ICC ODI Player Rankings for
batsmen and bowlers respectively.
• Hardik Pandya at number 10 is the only Indian to feature in the top 10 among all-rounders.
1.94 Shane Watson appointed president of Australian Cricketers’ Association

• Former all-rounder Shane Watson has been appointed as the president of the Australian
Cricketers’ Association (ACA) recently.
• Shane Watson had represented Australia in 59 Tests, 190 ODIs and 58 T20Is.
1.95 Prakash Javadekar takes charge as Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister
• Recently, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting & Environment, Forest and Climate
Change, Prakash Javadekar has assumed office as the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises.
• This comes after resignation of Arvind Sawant from the position recently.
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1.96 ITDC appoints Kamala Vardhana Rao as its new Chairman and MD
• Recently, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) has appointed G Kamala Vardhana
Rao as the new Chairman and Managing Director.
• He has also served as the Secretary of Kerala Tourism in 2014-15.
1.97 Unilever appoints Nils Andersen as new Chairman

• Recently, Unilever has named non-executive director Nils Andersen as its new chairman.
• He will replace Marijn Dekkers.
1.98 Nita Ambani Becomes 1st Indian Trustee to be elected to Board of New York’s Metropolitan
Museum of Art
• Recently, Nita Ambani has been named as honorary trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of
Art in New York.
• She has become the first Indian to be elected to board of Metropolitan Museum of Art.
1.99 World Kindness Day observed on 13th November

• World Kindness Day is observed on 13 November annually, all over the world to promote
kindness.
1.100 Amazon introduces 'Project Zero' in India to block counterfeit goods

• Recently, Amazon has announced to bring "Project Zero" to India in a bid to ensure that
customers receive authentic goods when shopping on Amazon.
• "Project Zero" introduces additional proactive mechanisms and powerful tools to identify,
block and remove counterfeits.
1.101 International Conference on Yoga for Heart care organised at Mysuru, Karnataka
• Recently, Ministry of AYUSH organized the International Conference on Yoga at Mysuru,
Karnataka.
• Theme of the conference: ‘Yoga for Heart Care’.
• This conference is fifth in the series to commemorate the unanimous adoption of Resolution
by the United Nations General Assembly during its 69th Session for observing 21st June as
International Day of Yoga.
1.102 Indo-French Joint Training Exercise Shakti– 2019

• Recently, the closing ceremony of the joint military exercise between Indian and French
Army, Exercise 'SHAKTI-2019’ was held at Mahajan Field Firing Range.
• The exercise also included newly inducted ‘RUDRA’ helicopter, the weaponised version of the
Advanced Light Helicopter 'Dhruv' produced indigenously by India.
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1.103 CSIR-IMTECH signs MOU with IIT Bombay for collaborative research
• Recently, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to
promote collaborative research.
• The objective of this collaboration is to carry out state of the art research in areas of
healthcare especially in projects and mission where both the institutes can significantly
complement each other.
1.104 Ravi Prakash wins BRICS-Young Innovator Prize

• Recently, Ravi Prakash, an Indian PhD scholar has won the USD 25,000 BRICS-Young
Innovator Prize.
• He has been awarded for inventing an affordable indigenous milk chilling unit for smaller and
marginal rural dairy farmers.
1.105 Robert De Niro to be conferred with SAG Life Achievement award

• Recently, Veteran actor Robert De Niro has been honoured with the SAG (Screen Actors
Guild) Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment.
• De Niro is already the winner of a myriad of trophies, including two Oscars, a Golden Globe, a
Kennedy Center Honour and the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
1.106 Karabi Gogoi selected as assistant naval attache in India's Moscow Embassy
• Recently, the Navy has selected Lt.Commander Karabi Gogoi as assistant naval attache at the
Moscow Embassy.
• She is the second woman defence personnel to be appointed for a diplomatic assignment,
after wing commander Anjali Singh.
1.107 Ms. Padmaja has been accredited as the next High Commissioner of India to the Kingdom of
Tonga
• Recently, Ms. Padmaja has been concurrently accredited as the next High Commissioner of
India to the Kingdom of Tonga.
• Presently, she is High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Fiji.
1.108 India’s first signal fish discovered off Kerala coast

• Recently, an unusual species of fish with a unique colour pattern and an interesting
behaviour that allows it to communicate with others of the same species by flipping its highly
specialised dorsal fins has been found at deep waters of the Lakshadweep Sea off the Kerala
coast.
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1.109 IIT-Guwahati scientists develop paper based sensor to check milk quality at home
• Recently, Indian scientists at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a
paper based sensor to instantaneously check freshness of milk.
• This is the simple visual detection technique to detect the quality of milk, without the need for
special equipment and instruments.
1.110 Pravind Jugnauth sworn in as Mauritius PM

• Recently, Pravind Jugnauth has sworn in as Mauritius Prime Minister for a five-year term.
About Mauritius
• Capital: Port Louis
• Currency: Mauritian Rupee
1.111 Justice Muhammad Raffiq takes oath as Chief Justice of Meghalaya High court
• Recently, Justice Muhammad Raffiq has sworn in as Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court.
• He succeeds Ajay Kumar Mittal who is now the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court.
1.112 Jeanine Anez declares herself Bolivia interim President

• Recently, Senator Jeanine Anez has declared herself the country’s interim
president after Evo Morales fled to Mexico following his surprise resignation.
• Evo Morales says that he was forced to resign by the military and claims he is the victim of a
coup.
1.113 Tobacco Board receives Golden Leaf Award 2019

• Recently, Tobacco Board of India has been awarded the Golden Leaf Award in the Most
Impressive Public Service Initiative category for the year 2019 at Tab Expo 2019 event in
Amsterdam.
• The award has been given for its efforts to initiate various sustainability (green) initiatives in
Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco cultivation in India.
1.114 India set to host World Kabaddi cup 2019

• The 2019 World Kabaddi Cup will be organised in Punjab by the Punjab government.
• This year’s tournament will be dedicated to the 550th birth anniversary of Sikh guru, Guru
Nanak Dev.
• Nine teams: India, USA, Australia, England, Sri Lanka, Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan and
Canada are expected to take part in the tournament.
1.115 Nilam Sawhney appointed as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh

• Recently, the Andhra Pradesh government has appointed IAS Officer Nilam Sawhney as first
women Chief Secretary of bifurcated Andhra Pradesh.
• She is replacing LV Subramaniam as Chief Secretary.
1.116 UP government launches e-Ganna app and web portal

• Recently, Uttar Pradesh government has launched a dedicated web portal and a mobile
application, e-Ganna App, for sugarcane farmers of the state.
• Cane supply slip will now be issued to the farmers by sugar mills online through this app.
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1.117 World Diabetes Day observed on 14th November 2019
• World Diabetes Day is observed annually on 14th November. The theme for diabetes
awareness month and World Diabetes Day 2019 is ‘Family and Diabetes’.
• This day marks the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with
Charles Best in 1922.
1.118 India ranked fourth in the 14th Asian Championship Shooting

• Recently, India won fourth in the Asian championship Shooting held at Doha, Qatar with a
medal tally of 26. China secured the first rank, followed by South Korea and North Korea.
• Indian teen shooter Saurabh Chaudhary won the silver medal in men's 10m air pistol event.
• In women's 10 m air pistol event, Manu Bhaker of India won the gold medal.
1.119 Noted singer Cochin Azad passed away

• Singer Azad Yusuf, popularly known as Cochin Azad, who was famous for his renditions of
Mohammed Rafi songs, has passed away recently.
1.120 Dutee Chand named in TIME 100 Next list

• Recently, India sprinter Dutee Chand has been named in the ‘TIME 100 Next’ list.
• The list highlights 100 rising stars who are shaping the future of business, entertainment,
sports, politics, health, science, activism etc.
1.121 UP Police bags 3rd prize for response to emergency among 500 forces
• Recently, Uttar Pradesh Police has been awarded third prize in emergency response category
during an international call centre event organised by the Dubai Police.
• The first prize was bagged by the Singapore Police, while the second was won by the Sharjah
Police.
1.122 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is 2020 Republic Day chief guest
• Recently, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
invitation to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 2020.
About Brazil
• Capital: Brasilia
• Currency: Brazilian real
1.123 KPMG, NIIT launch finance academy

• Recently, KPMG in India and NIIT Limited has announced the launch of the KPMG NIIT
Finance Academy in India to build new skills and talent in the finance sector.
• It proposes to offer programs in finance to fresh graduates and experienced finance
professionals, to address new skill requirements that digital transformation has brought about
in the finance sector.
1.124 West Bengal celebrates ‘Rosogolla Day’ to mark GI tag granting

• Recently, ‘Rosogolla Dibas’ was celebrated in West Bengal on 14th November to mark the
granting of GI tag of ‘Banglar Rosogolla’ to the state two years ago.
• Nobin Chandra Das is the inventor of Bengali variant of Rosogolla.
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1.125 Noted mathematician Vashishtha Singh has passed away
• Recently, renowned mathematician Vashishtha Narayan Singh has died.
• He had worked at the NASA in the U.S. and IITs in India.
1.126 Bhopal gas tragedy activist Abdul Jabbar passes away

• Recently, social activist Abdul Jabbar, who fought for justice to victims and survivors of the
1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, has passed away.
• The Bhopal gas tragedy had claimed the lives of over 15,000 people after the deadly methyl
isocyanate gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant.
1.127 Ministry of Tourism participates in the 3 day China International Travel Mart
• Recently, Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
participated in China International Travel Mart (CITM) organised at Kunming, China.
• CITM is one of the largest travel shows in Asia that offers innovative ideas and concepts for
travel in Asia.
1.128 Conference of Ministers and Secretaries of States and UTs in charge of Youth Affairs and
Sports held
• Recently, Conference of Ministers and Secretaries of the States and Union Territories in
charge of Youth Affairs and Sports was held in New Delhi.
1.129 Sisseri River Bridge connecting Dibang Valley and Siang in Arunachal Pradesh inaugurated
• Recently, Sisseri River bridge was inaugurated at Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is a 200-metre long bridge between Jonai-Pasighat-Ranaghat-Roing road and will provide
connectivity between Dibang Valley and Siang.
• It would cut down the travel time from Pasighat to Roing by about five hours.
1.130 First ever International Buyer- Seller Meet held in Arunachal Pradesh
• Recently, the first ever international buyer seller meet on Agriculture & Horticulture produce
was held in Arunachal Pradesh.
• It was organised by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Ten International buyers from seven countries of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, UAE,
Sultanate of Oman and Greece participated in the meet.
1.131 DPIIT establishes Development Council for Bicycle

• Recently, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), has set up a
Development Council for Bicycle.
• It has been done for vision planning in design, engineering and manufacturing of lighter,
smarter, value added, safe and faster premium bicycles which are comparable with global
standards for exports and domestic market.
1.132 India to host the 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics in New Delhi
• The 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics will be organized by the Ministry
of Agriculture in New Delhi.
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• Theme (2019): ‘Statistics for Transformation of Agriculture to Achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)’
1.133 Venkaiah Naidu released the book – ‘Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past’ in New Delhi
• Recently, the book named ‘Savarkar: Echoes from a forgotten past’ was released in New
Delhi.
• It has been written by Vikram Sampath and published by Viking Penguin publishers.
1.134 Home Minister launches winter-grade diesel suitable for extreme winters for Ladakh Region
• Indian Oil Corporation (Indian Oil) has recently developed a special winter-grade diesel for the
high-altitude regions of Ladakh.
• The diesel has a low pour-point of -33 degree Celsius and does not lose its fluidity function even
in extreme winter conditions.
Relevance
• Motorists in high-altitude sectors like Ladakh, Kargil, Kaza and Keylong face the problem of
freezing of diesel in their vehicles when winter temperatures drop.
1.135 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus)

• 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) has taken place in Bangkok, Thailand
in the month of November 2019.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has gone to Thailand to attend the Summit.
1.136 Joint Exercise between the Qatari Emiri Navy and the Indian Navy Forces
• Inaugural edition of the Bilateral Maritime Exercise between the Indian Navy and Qatari Emiri
Naval Forces has taken place from 17th November to 21st November 2019.
• The exercise is called Za’ir-Al-Bahr which means “Roar of the Sea”.
• The Exercise included a three-day Harbour Phase and Two days Sea Phase.
1.137 National Mission on Cultural Mapping

• National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM) will compile data of artists, art forms & geo
location with inputs from Central Ministries, State Governments & art/culture bodies.
• The mission was set up by the Ministry of Culture in 2017.
1.138 Darjeeling's green and white teas get GI tag

• Darjeeling Tea Association has announced that green and white tea from Darjeeling have been
given GI Tags.
• These two varieties of Darjeeling tea have been registered under Geographical Indications of
Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999.
1.139 4th India International Cherry Blossom Festival concludes at Shillong

• 4th India International Cherry Blossom Festival has recently taken place in Shillong, Meghalaya.
• South Korea is the partner country in this year’s festival.
1.140 Muthoot Finance to buy IDBI Bank’s MF business

• Muthoot Finance Ltd has announced that it is going to acquire IDBI Asset Management Ltd.
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• IDBI is the mutual fund unit of IDBI Bank Ltd.
1.141 NDRF to train unit to save heritage structures

• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has announced that it will soon come up with a
specialized unit in each battalion with the responsibility of rescue and restoration.
• This battalion will help to preserve monuments and other heritage structures battered by
disasters.
1.142 Sudarsan Pattnaik becomes first Indian to win prestigious Italian award for sand art
• Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has been conferred the Italian Golden Sand Art Award,
2019.
• He has become the first Indian to win the prestigious award for his contribution to sand art.
1.143 Japanese spacecraft starts year-long journey home from asteroid

• Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has started its journey to earth after successfully completing its
mission to bring back soil samples from the asteroid Ryugu.
• The spacecraft is expected to return to Earth in late 2020.
• The data could provide clues to the origins of the solar system.
1.144 Gotabaya Rajapaksa takes oath as Sri Lankan President

• Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been sworn in as the president of Sri Lanka in the month of November
2019.
• He is the first retired military officer to assume the position of President.
1.145 Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan takes oath as Chief Justice of Jharkhand HC

• Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan has taken oath as the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court.
• He has been appointed as the 13th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
1.146 India to host the 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics in New Delhi
• The 8th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS-VIII) is going to take place in
New Delhi in the month of November 2019.
• Theme - ‘Statistics for Transformation of Agriculture to Achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs)’.
• Organized by - Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation and FAO, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation etc.
1.147 Harmeet Desai claims Indonesia Open TT Championship

• Harmeet Desai has won the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Indonesia
Open.
• The event has taken place in Batam, Indonesia.
1.148 National Agrochemicals Congress concluded in New Delhi

• The first-ever National Agrochemicals Congress has recently taken place in Pusa, New Delhi.
• Theme - Country's Status on Various Fronts of Agrochemicals.
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1.149 Indian Govt Prepares To Battle Fake News With New Module FACT
• Fact-checking module is going to be set up under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
• It is going to be manned by Indian information service officers.
• FACT team will also bring out appropriate content to counter fake news' narrative.
1.150 David Attenborough to get Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2019

• Renowned broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough will be awarded the Indira
Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2019.
• His name was selected by an international jury chaired by former President Pranab Mukherjee.
• He has been conferred the award for a lifetime of work to reveal the wonders of the natural
world.
1.151 GRSE delivers ICGS 'Amrit Kaur’ to Indian Coast Guard

• Recently, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) has delivered the ICGS 'Amrit
Kaur', the third in a series of five 'Fast Patrol Vessels' (FPV) to Indian Coast Guard.
• ICGS 'Amrit Kaur' is capable of performing rescue, patrolling, anti-smuggling and anti-poaching
operations in the maritime zones of the country.
• It has been named after Rajkumari Amrit Kaur who was an Indian freedom fighter and
politician.
1.152 Stefanos Tsitsipas becomes youngest Greek tennis player to win ATP finals 2019
• Recently, Stefanos Tsitsipas has become the first Greek player to win the ATP World Tour
Finals trophy by defeating Dominic Thiem in London.
• He is the youngest champion since 20-year-old Lleyton Hewitt in 2001.
1.153 UNESCO World Heritage Week observed from 19th-25th, 2019

• UNESCO World Heritage Week 2019 started from November 19 and will end on November
25.
• The objective of the week is to make people aware of the rich heritage and also strive for its
preservation.
• There are 38 World Heritage Sites located in India, including 30 cultural sites, seven natural
sites and one mixed site.
1.154 World Toilet Day observed on 19th November

• World Toilet Day is observed by United Nations annually on 19th November.
• Theme (2019): "Leaving No One Behind"
• In 2019, the theme focuses on the expanding sanitation access to the more than 4.2 billion
people living without safely managed sanitation options.
1.155 World Conference on access to Medical Products achieving the SDGs 2030 held
• Recently, Union Minister for Health Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated ‘2019 World Conference
on Access to Medical Products: Achieving the SDGs 2030’ in New Delhi.
• It was jointly organized by Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and World
Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),
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Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Biotechnology Industry
Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
1.156 Google acquires software firm CloudSimple

• Recently, Google has acquired CloudSimple, a leading provider of secure, dedicated
environments to run VMware workloads in the Cloud.
• It is expected to help customers seamlessly migrate to the Cloud.
1.157 Sarita Devi elected as member of AIBA athletes commission

• Recently, Laishram Sarita Devi of Manipur is elected as members of AIBA Athletes
Commission.
• She is among the six boxers who have been elected from 5 continents.
• The election of the Athletes Commission members was organized during AIBA Men and
Women World Boxing Championships 2019 in Russia.
1.158 Pak successfully test fires Shaheen-1 surface-to-surface ballistic missile

• Recently, Pakistan has conducted a successful test launch of a surface-to-surface ballistic
missile capable of delivering all types of warheads up to 650 kilometres.
• The launch was aimed at testing operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command
(ASFC) ensuring Pakistan's credible minimum deterrence.
1.159 NTPC wins the ‘Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability’ 2019
• Recently, NTPC Ltd has been bestowed with the ‘Golden Peacock Award for Sustainability’
2019, during the 19th International Conference on Corporate Governance & Sustainability
which was held in London (U.K).
• Sustainability Award has been given to NTPC for its efforts to provide cleaner and green
energy, to minimize environmental impact.
1.160 Virat Kohli wins PETA India’s ‘Person of the Year’ award
• Recently, Virat Kohli has been named as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
India’s ‘Person of the Year for 2019’ for his animal advocacy efforts.
1.161 World Children’s day observed on 20th November

• World Children’s Day (also known as Universal Children's Day) is observed annually on 20th
November.
• This day is promoted and coordinated by UNICEF and the United Nations Children's Fund.
• This day marks the day when the UN General Assembly adopted both the Declaration and the
Convention on children's rights.
1.162 IAAF changes name to World Athletics

• The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has changed its name to World
Athletics , so as to make the event more accessible.
• The IAAF was founded in 1912 as the International Amateur Athletic Federation.
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1.163 India-Pakistan Davis Cup tie match in Kazakhstan
• The Davis cup tie between India and Pakistan will take place on 29th and 30th November in Nur-
Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan.
• The tie was scheduled to be held in Pakistan in the month of September 2019 but has been
postponed after India expressed concerns about the safety of their players.
1.164 17th November : The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
• This day is observed every year across the world on the third Sunday of November.
• The theme of this year - “Life is not a car part”.
1.165 Venu Srinivasan becomes first Indian to get Deming award

• Venu Srinivasan, the chairman of TVS Motor Company and Sundaram Clayton has been
conferred with the prestigious Deming ‘Distinguished Service Award For Dissemination and
Promotion Overseas’, in Tokyo.
• He has been conferred this award for his contributions in the field of Total Quality Management
(TQM).
• He is the first industrialist from India to be bestowed with award.
• The Deming Prize is the highest award for TQM in the world and is sponsored by Japanese Union
of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE).
1.166 Arun Alagappan takes over as MD of Cholamandalam Investment

• Arun Alagappan has been recently appointed as the Managing Director of Cholamandalam
Investment and Finance Company.
• Alagappan is the Executive Director of the Company since August 2017.
1.167 Women's boxing icon Nicola Adams retires due to medical advice
• Two-time Olympic champion of Women Boxing Nicola Adams has announced her retirement.
• She has announced this because of fears about her sight.
• She had become the first ever women's Olympic boxing champion at London 2012.
1.168 Junior National Athletics Championship
• 35th Junior National Athletics Championship is being conducted in Acharya Nagarjuna University
(ANU), Guntur.
• The Championship has been organized by Andhra Pradesh Athletics Associations on behalf of
and under the aegis of Athletics Federation of India.
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1.169 Goa: Indian Coast Guard conducted ReSAREX-2019
• The Indian Coast Guard has conducted the Regional level Search and Rescue Workshop and
Exercise - 2019 (ReSAREX - 2019) in Goa recently.
• The exercise has been conducted to check the preparedness and response measures for search
and rescue at sea in a coordinated manner.
1.170 Book titled “Kashmir” by Historian Chitralekha Zutshi released

• A new book titled “Kashmir” has been recently released.
• It has been authored by renowned historian Chitralekha Zutshi and is a part of Oxford India’s
short introduction series.
1.171 8th International Tourism Mart at Imphal, Manipur

• The 8th “International Tourism Mart” (ITM) has recently taken place in Imphal, Manipur in the
month of November 2019.
• It will put the spotlight on “Sustainable Tourism an engine for Economic Growth and
Employment”.
• Organized by : The Ministry of Tourism in association with the North Eastern States.
• It is an annual event organised in the North Eastern region with the objective of highlighting
the tourism potential of the region in the domestic and international markets.
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2 GA + ESI in news
2.1 Coal India Limited observed its 45th Foundation Day

[Social Sectors- Health]
[Employment Generation in India]
• Recently, on the ocassion of 45th Foundation Day of Coal India Limited, Minister of Coal &
Mines, Shri Prahlad Joshi has announced that the Coal India Limited (CIL) will produce 750
million tonnes of coal by the Financial Year 2020-21.
• It would further produce one billion tonne of coal in the financial year 2023-24.
• He also announced that Coal India will eradicate TB (Tuberculosis) in and around coal
mining areas by 2024 under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.
About Coal India:
• Headquarters: Kolkata
• CEO: Anil Kumar Jha
2.2 UAN Registration, E-Inspection and DIGI Locker apps launched

• Recently, Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment launched 3 Apps: UAN
registration, E-Inspection and Digi Locker.
• These apps have been developed by Employees' Provident Fund Organization.
• UAN registration: Through this app, any worker can obtain Universal Account Number (UAN)
directly on EPFO website which enrols them for PF, Pension and Life Insurance benefits.
• Digi Locker: It will integrate with DigiLocker of NeGD to create depository of electronic PPOs
which is accessible to individual pensioners. This is a move towards paperless system and
ease of living for pensioners.
• E-Inspections: The E-Inspection Form would be available in user login of employers not filing
ECR which enables employer to inform either closure of business or unpaid dues with
proposal for payment.
• It will nudge employers for compliant behavior and prevent undue harassment of non-wilful
defaulters and eliminate inspector raj.
2.3 Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) to launch Online
Hackathon on Data-driven Innovation for Citizen Grievance Redressal
[Social Justice]
• Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of
Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is going to launch a nation-wide online
Hackathon ‘Data-driven Innovation for Citizen Grievance Redressal’ in New Delhi.
• The basic objective is to provide technology driven solutions to improve the grievance
redressal mechanism in the country.
• Potential solution prototypes would be selected by eminent Jury for adoption in the
innovative practices for improving CPGRAMS.
About Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS)
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• It is the platform based on web technology which primarily aims to enable submission of
grievances by the aggrieved citizens from anywhere and anytime (24x7) basis to
Ministries/Departments/Organizations/State Governments who scrutinize and take action
for speedy and favourable redress of these grievances.
• Tracking grievances is also facilitated on this portal through the system generated unique
registration number.
2.4 Maps of newly formed Union Territories of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh released
[Indian Political System]
• Recently, the former state of Jammu & Kashmir has been reorganized as the new Union
Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the new Union Territory of Ladakh, and a map has
been prepared by Survey General of India depicting the new Union Territories.
• The new Union Territory of Ladakh consists of two districts of Kargil and Leh.
• The rest of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir is in the new Union Territory of Jammu
and Kashmir.
• The Leh district of the new Union Territory of Ladakh has been defined in the Jammu and
Kashmir Reorganization (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019, to include the areas
of the districts of Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilhas and Tribal Territory of 1947, in addition to the
remaining areas of Leh and Ladakh districts of 1947, after carving out the Kargil District.
2.5 Government of India to set up & strengthen AHTUs & WHDs in states across the country
[Gender Issues]
• Recently, Empowered Committee under Nirbhaya Framework has approved proposal to
develop systems for operationalization of Women Help Desks (WHDs) in police stations and
expansion of Anti-Human-Trafficking-Units (AHTUs) to all districts.
Anti-Human-Trafficking-Units (AHTUs)
• AHTUs will be set up at cost of Rs. 100 crores for safety and security of women and girl
victims of trafficking, with the condition that a proper monitoring and reporting
mechanism should also be put in place.
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• 100% cost of setting up of these AHTUs has been recommended to be borne by the Central
Government under Nirbhaya Fund as per the MHA proposal.
Women Help Desks (WHDs)
• Women Help Desks will be set up in Police Stations in all States and UTs at cost of Rs. 100
crores to be funded 100% by the Central Government under Nirbhaya Fund.
• WHDs would be gender sensitive desks for grievance redressal of women through the
policing system.
• The EC has suggested that these Women Help Desks should preferably be headed by
women police officer not below the rank of Head Constables, and preferably by women
officers not below the ranks of JSI or ASI.
About Nirbhaya fund
• Nirbhaya Fund is an Indian rupee 10 billion corpus announced by Government of India in
its 2013 Union Budget.
• This fund is expected to support initiatives by the government and NGOs working towards
protecting the dignity and ensuring safety of women in India.
2.6 Odisha tagged with Maharashtra under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

• Recently, Odisha has been tagged with Maharashtra to organize different programmes to
promote art, culture and tourism of their respective states, under Ek Bharat Shrestha
Bharat Programme.
• Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat is an initiative of Government of India to pay tribute to Sardar
Patel, for his great contributions to the nation.
• This initiative can build bonds between the people of various States of India.
• This programme is giving a boost to the existing cultural connect between different parts of
the country and enhancing interaction between people living in different states.
2.7 Guyana GDP to grow fourteen times as fast as China’s next year: IMF
[IMF and World Bank]
• According to IMF, Guyana is about to experience the fastest economic growth on the
planet.
• According to the International Monetary Fund, Guyana will see its economy balloon 86%
next year after expanding 4.4% this year. That’s 14 times the projected pace of China and
driven by Exxon Mobil Corp.’s discovery of oil.
• Exxon will begin pumping from its first well next month, and by 2025 Guyana will produce at
least 750,000 barrels a day.
• The government expects the initial $300 million a year in revenue from profit-sharing and
royalties to more than double after a second offshore well starts production around 2022.
2.8 India’s economy to grow 6.6% in 2020-24: OECD

[Measurement of growth]
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• Recently, the report named “Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia , China and India 2020:
Responding to Environmental Hazards in Cities” was released by Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) released for South East Asia.
• The report was presented at the ASEAN summit, 2019.
Key highlights of the report
• India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could grow 6.6% in 2020-24. It is lower than its 2013-
17 average of 7.4%.
• Sustaining the efforts taken in the health and banking sectors will be a challenge for India.
• India will also face difficulties in bridging the disparity between urban and rural infrastructure
• Among ASEAN countries, Vietnam and Philippines will remain as growth leaders.
• The report predicts that the emerging trade tensions between USA and China will affect
emerging Asian market.
2.9 'Red Atlas Map' unveiled for flood mitigation in Chennai

[Human Development]
• Recently, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu unveiled the 'Red Atlas Action Plan Map’.
• It has been prepared by the Ministry of Earth Sciences to aid Tamil Nadu government in
effective flood mitigation in Chennai which witnessed the worst deluge in 2015.
• It provides information, including on corporation wards that are likely to be affected due to
flooding, and the areas that may need evacuation in Chennai taking into account all historical
datasets.
• Vice-President also launched Coastal Flood Warning System App (CFLOWS-Chennai).
• The CFLOWS-Chennai is a complete webGIS-based decision support system that can be used
both for mitigation planning operations before flooding and in real time to for aspects like
relief work.
2.10 President launches IIT Delhi’s ₹250 crore alumni endowment fund
[Social Sectors- Education]
• Recently, President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
global alumni endowment fund.
• It will have an initial commitment of more than ₹250 crore, nearly half of which will come
from Flipkart co-founders.
• For the fund with an initial seed capital of ₹250 crore, IIT Delhi has set an aggressive target
of raising ₹1,000 crore by 2020 and ₹7,000 crore by 2025.
• Note: In the latest QS World University ranking 2020, IIT Delhi was ranked at 182.
2.11 Tamil Nadu to ink pact on renewable energy with Massachusetts

[Sustainable Development]
• Tamil Nadu and Massachusetts are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) in the area of renewable and clean energy.
• This MoU has been labelled as “non-binding”, and facilitates exchange of ideas and
experiences in three areas: policy dialogue, research and development and industrial
investment.
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• Apart from Tamil Nadu, there are other States in the country that have partnerships with
States in the U.S. Among them are Telangana (with New Jersey), Rajasthan (with Utah) and
Gujarat (with Colarado).
2.12 Germany to invest €1 billion for green urban mobility in India

[Sustainable Development]
• Recently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to invest €1 billion over the next
five years on environmentally-friendly urban mobility in India.
• Germany would also put in €200 million to reform the bus sector in Tamil Nadu.
2.13 IMF approves release of $164 million tranche to Sri Lanka

[IMF and World Bank]
• Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved the release of $164 million-
sixth tranche of a $1.5 billion loan programme for Sri Lanka.
• Mobilizing revenue will be central to place public debt on a downward path while preserving
space for social and investment spending.
2.14 Odisha's first eco village on Mahanadi banks created

[Sustainable Development and Environmental issues]
• Recently, Muduligadia, a village in Odisha’s Nayagarh district, has acquired a badge of
honour of first eco village of Odisha.
• It is the state’s first eco village developed on the banks of Mahanadi river along the Satkosia
gorge.
• The concept of the eco village is to minimize the baleful impact on the environment and
restoration of the social and natural environment.
2.15 Unemployment rate in India rose to a three-year high of 8.5% in Oct: CMIE
• According to the data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the
unemployment rate in India rose to a three-year high of 8.5 per cent in October.
• Urban joblessness rate is 8.9 per cent, while in villages it stood at 8.3 per cent.
• Urban unemployment has consistently remained about 1 to 2 percentage points higher
than that in the rural. But the gap has narrowed to 0.6 percentage points in October,
suggesting a graver deterioration in village jobs.
2.16 Ministry of Shipping announces first ever movement of container cargo on Brahmaputra
[Human Development]
• Recently, a landmark container cargo consignment sailed on inland waterways from Haldia
Dock Complex (HDC) to the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) terminal at Pandu
in Guwahati.
• This is the first ever containerized cargo movement on this Inland Water Transport (IWT)
route.
• This voyage will be an integrated IWT movement via National Waterway-1 (river Ganga),
NW-97 (Sunderbans), Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route and NW-2 (river Brahmaputra).
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• This has been done in line with Government's focus on improving connectivity to the North
Eastern Region (NER).
2.17 Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship launches Skills Build platform in
Collaboration with IBM
• Recently, Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the aegis of Ministry of Skill
Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with IBM has announced the
launch of SkillsBuild platform.
About Skills Build Platform
• As part of the programme, a two-year advanced diploma in IT, networking and cloud
computing, co-created and designed by IBM, will be offered at the Industrial Training
Institutes (ITIs) & National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).
• The platform will be extended to train ITI & NSTI faculty on building skills in Artificial
Intelligence (AI).
• It also offers digital learning content from IBM and partners such as CodeDoor,
Coorpacademy and Skillsoft.
• The platform is deployed with the support of leading NGOs like Unnati and Edunet
Foundation.
• This initiative is part of IBM’s global commitment to create a job-ready workforce and to
build the next generation of skills needed for new collar careers.
2.18 ADB clears $451-m loan for power connectivity in Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor
[International Economic Institutions]
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved to provide $451-million (around Rs 3200
crore) loan to strengthen power connectivity between the southern and northern parts of
the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in Tamil Nadu.
• The total cost of the project is $653.5 million. The state government will provide the
remaining amount of $202.5 million.
• The State is aiming to develop the northern Chennai–Tiruchirappalli area of CKIC as a
manufacturing centre while targeting the southern Madurai–Thoothukudi portion for the
development of renewable energy-based power generation because of the availability of
wind and solar resources.
2.19 India withdraws from RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership)

[Regional Economic Cooperation]
• Recently, India has pulled out of a trade pact known as ‘Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership’.
• This has paved way for the other 15-members to go ahead and sign the deal keeping the
door open for India to join at later date.
Why India has withdrawn from RCEP?
• The proposed agreement was unacceptable to India in its current form as it did not
accommodate New Delhi's concerns and "core interests."
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• Also, big concern for India is that it would be flooded by goods from China and elsewhere.
India already has a massive trade deficit with China, amounting to $53 billion (€48 billion).
It's the biggest deficit India has with any country.
• Indian pharma and IT industries have found it tough to enter and expand in the Chinese
market, as China hasn't taken any substantive measures to ease barriers.
2.20 Bihar bans 15-year-old government cars

• Recently, government vehicles which are over 15-years-old have been banned across Bihar.
• Also, commercial vehicles of the same age will be stopped from plying in Patna and
adjacent regions.
• However, private vehicle older than 15 years will be allowed to ply if they pass a pollution
test.
• It has also been announced that farmers found burning stubble will not be given agricultural
subsidy.
• These decisions have been taken to curb the rising air pollution in the state.
2.21 6th Parliamentary Speakers Summit of G20 Countries held at Tokyo

[Regional Economic cooperation]
• Recently, 6th Parliamentary Speakers Summit of the G20 countries was held in Tokyo, Japan.
• It was jointly hosted and organised by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the House of
Councillors of National Diet of Japan.
• Indian parliamentary delegation was led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
• The summit had sessions on separate themes pertaining to trade, technology and
sustainable development:
• First Session’s theme- ‘Promotion of Free, Open and Fair Trade and Investment’.
• Second Session’s theme- ‘Utilization of Innovative Technology towards a human-centred
Future Society’
• Third Session’s theme- ‘Efforts towards Resolution of Global Challenges and Achievement
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs: Financing for Development, Need for Transparent
and Effective Government, etc.)’.
2.22 CAIT to launch a nation-wide movement against Amazon and Flipkart

• Recently, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced that it will launch a
nation-wide movement to protest against Amazon and Flipkart, alleging that they are
flouting FDI policy norms and destroying the country's retail business.
• Acc. to Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), both Amazon and Flipkart still continue to
sell goods on their portal at predatory pricing, deep discounting, controlling inventory,
promoting preferential sellers and influencing prices.
• Protest will be organised in about 200 cities in all the states of the country.
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2.23 International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate Smart
Agriculture and Global Food & Livelihood Security held
• Recently, International Conference on Soil and Water Resources Management for Climate
Smart Agriculture and Global Food and Livelihood Security was held in New Delhi.
• Objective: to deliberate upon the various issues and challenges of soil and water
conservation
• Organized by: Soil Conservation Society of India in association with World Association of Soil
and Water Conservation (WASWAC), China and International Soil Conservation Organization
(ISCO), U.S.A.
• In the event, “Soil Conservation Society of India (SCSI) Awards - 2019” were also conferred to
various scientists and students for their contributions in the respective fields of researches.
2.24 Commerce & Industry Minister launched curtain raiser of GES 2019
• Recently, curtain raiser event of the 5th Global Exhibition on Services (GES) was held in New
Delhi.
• GES 2019 will be held in Bengaluru.
• Uttar Pradesh is a partner State in GES 2019.
Relevance
• The services sector will contribute USD 3 trillion out of the USD 5 trillion economy that India
is set to grow to.
2.25 Rising Himachal 2019: Global Investors meet in Dharamshala

• Recently, Global Investors Meet 2019 was held at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
• This event showcased the investment opportunities in eight focus sectors to boost
manufacturing and employment generation in the State.
• The eight focus sectors are agri-business and post-harvest technology, manufacturing and
pharmaceuticals, tourism and hospitality, civil aviation, hydro and renewable energy,
wellness, healthcare and AYUSH, housing and urban development, IT-ITeS and electronics,
education and skill development.
2.26 ‘Wastelands Atlas’ – 2019 released with robust geospatial information

• Recently, the Department of Land Resources in collaboration with National Remote Sensing
Centre (NRSC), Department of Space has published Wastelands Atlases of India - 2019.
• To brought out the fifth edition of Wastelands Atlas – 2019, new wastelands mapping
exercise was carried out by NRSC using the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite.
• This Wastelands Atlas-2019 provides district and state wise distribution of different
categories of wastelands area including mapping of about 12.08 Mha hitherto unmapped
area of Jammu & Kashmir.
• The changes in wastelands between 2008-09 and 2015-16 have been presented in the Atlas.
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2.27 Siemens signs agreements with NTPC, TERI for Decarbonization
• Siemens Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NTPC Limited to
identify, evaluate and set up reference use cases of hydrogen sector-coupling for various
upstream and downstream applications.
• It has also inked a separate MoU with TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) for
collaboration on technologies to support the energy transition in India including sector-
coupling.
2.28 Eritrea, Saint Kittis & Nevis sign ISA Framework Agreement
• Recently, two new countries Eritrea and Saint Kittis and Nevis have signed the
International Solar Alliance's (ISA) Framework Agreement at its second Assembly held in
New Delhi.
• With this, 83 countries have so far signed the ISA framework agreement.
2.29 Kanpur is world’s most polluted city: Guinness World Record 2020
• Recently, the city of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh held the title for the world’s most polluted
city in Guinness World Records.
• Also, a report by World Health Organization (WHO) analyzed that the most polluted city in
the world is Kanpur in northern India, with an average PM2.5 level of 173
micrograms/m3 for the year 2016.
• This PM2.5 level is more than 17 times higher than WHO recommended maximum of 10
micrograms/m3.
• Out of the world’s 20 most PM2.5-polluted cities, 14 are in India.
2.30 8th Indo German Energy Forum (IGEF) 2019 held in Delhi
• Recently, the 8th meeting of the Indo – German Energy Forum concluded in New Delhi.
• The Forum took note of the ongoing cooperation under the following four sub-groups:
• Sub Group-I: Flexibilization in Thermal Power Plants.
• Sub Group-II: Renewable Energies
• Sub Group-III: Demand side energy efficiency and low carbon growth strategies
• Sub Group-IV: Green Energy Corridors
2.31 Odisha government signs pact with Tata Strive, Tech Mahindra for skill upgradation
• Recently, the Odisha state government has signed agreements with Tata Strive and Tech
Mahindra to add new dimensions in skilling and employability of the youth.
• This agreement is aimed at imparting life skills to the students of all 49 government Industrial
Training Institutes (ITIs) in the state.
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• Tech Mahindra and the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation will also
set up international business processing outsourcing operations for Fortune 500 customers.
2.32 Khadi gets separate unique HS code, export to get a boost

• The Ministry of Commerce and Industries has allocated separate HS code for the Khadi Fabric.
What is HS Code?
• HS Stands for Harmonized System and is a six digit identification code.
• It is used by custom officers to clear every commodity that enters or crosses any international
border and has been developed by the WCO (World Customs Organization).
• The system helps in harmonising of customs and trade procedures, thus reducing costs in
international trade.
• Over 200 countries use the system as a basis for their customs tariffs, gathering international
trade statistics, making trade policies, and for monitoring goods.
Relevance of this move
• As Khadi did not have HS Code, all the data regarding export of it used to come as a normal
fabric under the textile head.
• In 2006, the government had given the MSME-controlled Khadi and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC) the Export Promotion Council Status (EPCS).
• But the absence of a separate HS code hindered Khadi from achieving its full potential, as its
exports were difficult to categorise and calculate.
2.33 Shaala Darpan portal for Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti launched by Minister of State for HRD
[Social Sector - Education]
• Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development Sanjay Dhotre has launched the
Shala Darpan Portal of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.
Role of this portal
• It has been developed for information sharing and knowledge dissemination for the 22,000
employees and over 2 lakh students across schools and offices of Navodaya Vidyalaya
Samiti.
• The portal will integrate all Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas with a common standard which
includes around 636 schools.
About SHALA Portal
• Shala Darpan provides an integrated platform to meet the educational and administrative
needs of all stakeholders-students, teachers and parents.
• It has been designed from OPEN SOURCE TECHNOLOGY.
• It will contain information relating to the service record, transfer/posting, disciplinary action,
ACR tracking and the portal will improve mess management and hostel conditions.
2.34 19th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical

Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) meeting takes place in Russia
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• The 19th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical
Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) meeting, has recently taken place in Moscow.
• The meeting was co-chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Russian Defence Minister
General Sergey Shoigu.
About the meeting
• Defence Minister has highlighted the importance of the Inter-Governmental Agreement on
manufacturing of spares, components and aggregates in India through joint ventures that
would reduce cost, timelines of supply and result in progressive indigenization.
• This agreement is expected to provide a major boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
2.35 First ever ‘BIMSTEC Ports’ Conclave’ in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

• The first ever ‘BIMSTEC Ports’ Conclave’ has taken place at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Relevance of this Conclave
• It is expected to explore the possibility of increasing economic cooperation by furthering EXIM
trade and coastal shipping.
• The Conclave will also discuss on various investment opportunities, best practices adopted for
productivity and safety at Ports.
About BIMSTEC
• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an International Organization involving a group of countries in the
South Asia and South East Asia namely.
• The member countries are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and
Nepal.
• The objective of BIMSTEC alliance was to harness trade and accelerated growth with mutual
cooperation in different areas of common interest by utilising the regional resources and
geographical advantage.
2.36 CSR: RBS Earth Heroes Awards

[Sustainable Development and Environmental Issues]
• RBS India has announced the winners of the 9th edition of the RBS Earth Heroes Awards
(REHA).
• The theme for 2019 awards - “Climate Change”.
• The Winners of 2019 Awards are :
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2.37 Fitch raises India's FY20 fiscal deficit forecast to 3.6% of GDP
[Measurement of Growth]
• Recently in the month of November 2019, Fitch Solutions has raised India's fiscal deficit
forecast to 3.6% of the GDP for this fiscal year, from 3.4% previously.
• According to Fitch, this has been done as revenue collection is likely to fall far short of the
projections in the FY2019/20 Union Budget due to weak goods and services tax (GST) and
corporate income tax collections.
2.38 India gained $755 million in additional exports to US due to US-China trade war: UNCTAD
[Globalization]
• UNCTAD has recently released a study called “Trade and trade diversion effects of United
States tariffs on China”.
Findings of the Study
• The study shows that the ongoing US-China trade war has resulted in:
1. a sharp decline in bilateral trade
2. higher prices for consumers
3. trade diversion effects - increased imports from countries not directly involved in the trade
war.
• The report has India has gained about $755 million in additional exports, mainly of chemicals,
metals and ore, to the US in the first half of 2019 due to the trade diversion effects of
Washington's tariff war with China.
Background
• Since mid-2018, the US and China have been locked in a trade confrontation that has resulted
in several rounds of retaliatory tariffs.
• Over the course of 2018, the US administration started implementing a series of trade
measures to curtail imports, first targeting specific products (steel, aluminum, solar panels and
washing machines) and then specifically targeting imports from China.
• In June 2019, the US increased the tariffs further, to 25 per cent. China responded by raising
the tariffs on a subset of products that were already subject to tariffs.
2.39 Moody's cuts India's credit outlook to negative

• Global ratings agency Moody’s has cut its outlook for India’s credit ratings to “negative” from
“stable”.
• It has affirmed India’s Baa2 long-term sovereign rating, the second-lowest investment grade
score, but also stated that the negative outlook indicated that an upgrade was unlikely in the
near term.
• It has cited the following reasons for the same: ongoing economic slowdown, financial stress
among rural households, weak job creation, and the liquidity crunch in non-banking financial
companies.
2.40 Nomura slashes India's FY20 GDP forecast to 4.9% from 5.7% earlier
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• Japanese brokerage Nomura has massively cut its GDP forecast to a low 4.9 percent for the
year from 5.7 percent earlier, which is the lowest estimate till date.
• It has stated that the economy is going through a "deeper trough".
• In the month of October 2019, The Reserve Bank of India also reduced a 0.70 percentage points
in the GDP Forecast to 6.1 percent.
2.41 Andhra Pradesh set to introduce English medium in govt schools

[Social sector - Education]
• Andhra Pradesh is set to introduce English medium from standard first to standard eight in
government schools, from the next academic year.
• According to a government order, the Andhra Pradesh School Education Department has
decided to convert all government, MPP, and Zilla Parishad schools and all classes into
English medium.
• This will come into existence for standards I to VIII from the academic year 2020-21 and for
standards IX and X from the academic year 2021-22.
2.42 IIT-Madras launches country’s first standing wheelchair

[Social Justice]
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Madras) has launched India’s first indigenously designed
standing wheelchair, called as ‘Arise’.
• It enables a differently-abled person requiring a wheelchair to shift from sitting to standing
position, and vice versa, independently and in a controlled manner.
• The device has been designed and developed by the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research
and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT Madras and completed in collaboration with Phoenix
Medical Systems.
2.43 National Mission for Clean Ganga organizes 'Ganga Utsav' in Delhi
• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has organised 'Ganga Utsav' in coordination
with the Jal Shakti Ministry.
• The event was organized to mark the 11th anniversary of Ganga being declared as
the national river, on November 4th 2019.
• Aim of the Event – to create awareness and gather public participation in the efforts to clean
River Ganga and its tributaries.
• Venue - Major Dhyanchand stadium in New Delhi.
2.44 FSSAI releases draft regulations titled Food Safety and Standards (Safe Food and healthy diets
for School Children) Regulations, 2019
[Social Sector - Health]
• The Food and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released its draft regulations titled 'Food
Safety and Standards (Safe Food and healthy diets for School Children) Regulations, 2019'.
• It has sought comments from stakeholders within 30 days from 6th November 2019.
Guidelines
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• Foods which are referred to as foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) cannot be sold to school
children in school canteens or mess premises or hostel kitchens or within 50 meters of the
school campus.
• The food business operators (FBOs) manufacturing HFSS food products would be barred from
advertising such foods in school premises or within 50 meters of the school campus.
• The school authority itself or food business operators (FBOs) contracted by it and FBOs
contracted by Department of School Education for operation of the mid-day meal scheme will
have to "obtain a registration or license" as applicable and comply with the requirements of
sanitary and hygienic practices specified under the food safety law.
• The FSSAI has proposed that school authorities will have to adopt a comprehensive
programme for promoting safe food and healthy diets among school children.
• The school campus should be converted into 'Eat Right School' focusing safe and healthy
food, local and seasonal food and no food waste as per the specified benchmarks.
• The school authorities would have to ensure that FBOs supplying prepared meals in the
premises are on the basis of general guidance provided in the regulation and as per the
direction issued by the Food Authority or the Commissioners of Food safety.
• Nutrionists, dietitians must be engaged by the school administration to assist in the
preparation of menu for the children, periodically.
• The FSSAI has also proposed creation of a sub-committee by the State Level Advisory
Committee to monitor the implementation of this regulations and to ensure availability of
safe and wholesome food to school children.
2.45 Vice President of India inaugurates 10th Asian Conference of Emergency Medicine
• Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurating the 10th Asian Conference of
Emergency Medicine in New Delhi.
• Organizer of the Conference - The Asian Society for Emergency Medicine (ASEM) and Society
for Emergency Medicine India (SEMI).
Developments at the Conference
• He stressed on the need to include Emergency medicine and trauma care in the curriculum of
Undergraduate courses. He added that Medical students must be trained to deal with the
whole gamut of situations relating to emergency medicine.
• He also stressed on the need to invest in providing timely and high-quality Emergency Health
Services in India.
Note - Government of India has made it mandatory for all medical college hospitals to have
full-fledged Emergency Departments by 2022 with an aim to improve trauma care.
2.46 Cabinet opens Rs 25,000 crore window for stuck houses

[Social Sectors in India]
• The cabinet has approved a Rs 25,000-crore special window to provide funding to housing
projects that are stuck.
• The government will contribute Rs 10,000 crore and the rest will come from LIC and State Bank
of India besides sovereign wealth funds and pensions funds.
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• This has been with the aim of reviving the key sector, providing a boost to the economy and
bringing relief to home buyers.
Coverage under the Project
• The money will be available for “net worth positive” projects
• As many as 1,600 projects with 458,000 dwelling units will potentially be covered under the
dispensation.
• A government official said the total value of the homes that are stuck is estimated at Rs 1.39
lakh crore and about Rs 55,000-80,000 crore will be needed to complete them.
Working of the Fund

• This special window will be set up as a category-II Alternate Investment Fund, which will pool
investments from the government and other investors.
• An escrow account will be set up to be managed by SBI.
• Those eligible will be incomplete housing units of less than Rs 2 crore in Mumbai , less than
Rs 1.5 crore in Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Pune; and less than Rs 1 crore in
other parts of the country.
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2.47 19th IORA Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting in Abu Dhabi
[Globalization]
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken over from South Africa as the incoming IORA Chair.
• UAE as hosted the 19th IORA Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting on 7 November 2019 in Abu
Dhabi.
• The theme of the meeting - “Promoting a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity in the Indian
Ocean”.
About Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)
• The IORA is a regional forum, and brings together representatives of Government, Business
and Academia, for promoting co-operation and closer interaction among them.
• It was set up with the objective of strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable
development within the Indian Ocean Region.
Its members
• India, Australia, Iran, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Sri
Lanka, Tanzania, Bangladesh, Singapore, Mauritius, Madagascar, UAE, Yemen, Seychelles,
Somalia, Comoros and Oman are among the members of IORA.
2.48 Skill India certifies 500 skilled candidates formally under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
• Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has inaugurated an exhibition
called ‘Meet at Agra 2019’, at Agra Trade Centre, Uttar Pradesh.
• It is an annual exhibition-cum-fair organized by Agra Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters
Chamber (AFMEC).
RPL Certification
• Distribution of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certificates to 500 candidates has been
done at the event to boost their morale in the presence of several dignitaries.
• Certified candidates are trained and assessed on their skill set under the Recognition of prior
Learning program of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) of MSDE.
About RPL Programme
• The RPL program of Skill India aims to certify the workforce as per the National Skills
Qualifications Framework (NSQF) to rewards and enhance the value of skilled manpower.
• RPL recognizes and certifies skills acquired through informal means, bringing about a major
shift from un-organized sector to organized economy.
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• The certification will mobilize quality workforce and will reduce employer dependence for
recognition, particularly for women who form a large part of the workforce engaged in
footwear making.
About Meet at Agra
• ‘Meet at Agra’ is an annual event and is organized by AFMEC to promote Agra as the hub of
footwear manufacturers.
• It provides a platform to international producers and suppliers to come together and showcase
best of technology in latest footwear trends aimed at fulfilling futuristic demands.
Relevance of Footwear Industry
• The footwear industry contributes about 2% to India’s GDP and has the potential to touch
USD 9 billion by 2020.
• India has trade agreements with Japan, South Korea, Chile, and other countries, in the area
of footwear, and is in talks with the European Union and Australia to negotiate a Free Trade
Agreement (FTA).
2.49 Government of India issues Steel Scrap Recycling Policy

• Ministry of Steel has issued the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy in the month of November 2019.
• The policy aims to achieve the following objectives –
1. To promote circular economy in the steel sector.
2. To promote a formal and scientific collection, dismantling and processing activities for end of
life products that are sources of recyclable (ferrous, non- ferrous and other non-metallic)
scraps which will lead to resource conservation and energy savings and setting up of an
environmentally sound management system for handling ferrous scrap.
3. To evolve a responsive ecosystem by involving all stakeholders.
4. To produce high quality ferrous scrap for quality steel production thus minimizing the
dependency on imports.
5. To decongest the Indian cities from ELVs and reuse of ferrous scrap.
6. To create a mechanism for treating waste streams and residues produced from dismantling
and shredding facilities in compliance to Hazardous & Other Wastes (Management &
Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 issued by MoEFCC.
7. To promote 6Rs principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Redesign and Remanufacture
through scientific handling, processing and disposal of all types of recyclable scraps including
non-ferrous scraps, through authorized centers / facility.
Scrap for the Steel Industry
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• To produce 7 MT more of scrap that is currently being imported from the domestic market
itself - the country shall require 70 scrap processing centres each with the capacity of 100,000
tonnes - without disturbing the existing dismantling centres.
• The 70 scrap processing centres shall require about 300 collections and dismantling centres
on the presumption that 4 collecting and dismantling centres cater to scrap processing
centre.
• A 4+1 hub and spoke model is envisaged, where four collection and dismantling centres cater
to one scrap processing centre.
• There would be 70 units producing a total of 7 MT of scrap the potential for employment
generation would be of 2,800 persons.
2.50 IndAIR: CSIR-NEERI’s web facility launched

• Indian Air quality Studies Interactive Repository (IndAIR) – The first interactive online
repository of India has been recently launched.
• It has been launched by The Council of Scientific Industrial Research-National Environmental
Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI).
About IndAIR
• IndAIR has archived scanned documents from pre-Internet times (1950-1999), research
articles, reports and case studies, and over 2,000 statutes to provide the history of air
pollution research and legislation in the country.
• It is the first comprehensive effort to enlist existing Indian research and analysis on air
pollution, its causes and effects.
• The aim of the project is to make air quality research available to everyone as the studies
have been presented in an easily accessible web format for the media, researchers, and
academics.
2.51 IOCL gets Environment Ministry’s clearance to set up 2G ethanol plant in Panipat
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has granted clearance to the Indian
Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) to set up a 2G ethanol plant in Haryana’s Panipat district.
• The estimated investment in setting up the plant is Rs 766 crore.
• Ethanol produced will be used for blending in transportation fuel.
Background
• Recently, the central government had notified that no environmental clearance would be
required by sugar mills to produce additional ethanol from sugarcane juice.
• The IOCL had submitted a proposal seeking environment clearance for its proposed 100 KLPD
Ligno-Cellulosic 2G ethanol plant at Baholi in Panipat district of Haryana.
2.52 Prime Minister attended BRICS Summit at Brazil

• Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 11th BRICS summit in Brasilia, Brazil.
• The theme of the BRICS summit (2019): "Economic Growth for an Innovative Future.”
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• Prime Minister also held separate bi-lateral meetings with the Russian President Vladimir Putin
and the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping apart from the BRICS summit.
2.53 “Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan” launched

• Recently, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) inaugurated a
mass cleanliness-cum-awareness drive in 50 identified beaches under the “Swachh – Nirmal
Tat Abhiyaan”, from 11th -17thNovember, 2019.
• The identified beaches are in 10 coastal States/Union Territories (UTs) namely Gujarat, Daman
& Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, and
Odisha.
• The beaches have been identified after the consultation with the States/UTs.
2.54 Mihir Shah Committee to draft new water policy

[Sustainable Development and environmental issues]
• Recently, the Union Water Resources Ministry has finalised a committee to draft a new
National Water Policy (NWP).
• It will be chaired by Mihir Shah, who is a former Planning commission member and a water
expert.
• Also, National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency is proposed to be set up in order to enhance
water usage efficiency, especially in domestic and industrial sectors.
Need of this committee
• To update the National Water Policy, 2012 and recommend key changes in water governance
structure and regulatory framework.
• The first NWP was adopted in September 1987. It was reviewed and updated in 2002 and
later in 2012.
2.55 Anaemia among men in India: The Lancet global health

• Recently, a report titled ‘Anemia among men in India: A nationally representative cross-
sectional study’ was published in the Lancet Global Health journal.
• The study is aimed to determine variation in prevalence of anaemia across states by socio-
demographic characteristics and whether the variations are similar to that among women.
• The report noted that while studies on anaemia in India have mostly focused on women and
children, men have received far less attention.
Key findings of the report
• Anaemia among men in India is an important public health problem with State-level
prevalence in men varying from 9.2% in Manipur to 32.9% (highest) in Bihar.
• The study found that in men, the prevalence of any anaemia was 23.2%, moderate or severe
anaemia was 5.1%, and severe anaemia was 0.5%.
• An estimated 21.7% of men with any degree of anaemia had moderate or severe anaemia
compared with 53.2% of women with any anaemia.
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2.56 Centre gives nod for four medical device parks
• Recently, the government has approved setting up four medical device parks with a view to
support Make in India initiative and provide world-class treatment at affordable prices.
• The parks will be set up in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• The scheme proposes to provide ₹25 crore or 70 per cent of the project cost of setting up of
CFCs, whichever is less, for creation of common facilities in any upcoming park.
Benefits
• These parks will provide necessary infrastructure, where companies can easily plug and play.
• These parks will not only cut import bill but will also help in easy access to standard testing
facilities and reduce cost of production.
Relevance
• India is largely an importer of medical devices, with domestic industry accounting for about 2
per cent of the global industry which stands at USD 250 billion.
2.57 Jammu and Kashmir government sets up panel to declare Dal Lake as eco-sensitive zone
• Recently, the Jammu and Kashmir government has set up a ten-member committee to
declare Srinagar’s famous Dal Lake and its surrounding areas as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).
Need of this step
• It has been found that Dal Lake’s capacity has shrunk to about 40% and that its water quality
has deteriorated.
• Dal Lake has shrunk from its original area of 22 square kilometers to about 10 square
kilometers.
• Intense pollution by untreated sewage and solid wastes that flow into the lake,
encroachments of water channels and clogging has diminished the circulation and inflows
into the lake.
• Depth of the lake has reduced at many places due to siltation and encroachment, and night
soil discharge from the 800 to 900 houseboats causes extreme pollution in the water body.
2.58 India to host Shanghai Summit's Heads of Government Council Meet In 2020
• Recently, it has been announced that India will host the 19th council of heads of government
of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2020 in New Delhi.
• This is for the first time that India will host this meet.
• Recently, 18th council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
2.59 President’s rule imposed in Maharashtra

• Recently, President’s rule has been imposed in Maharashtra after 20 days of hectic parleying
between political parties did not materialise in the formation of a government in the State.
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• The Union Cabinet recommended President’s rule on the suggestion of Maharashtra Governor
Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
• President rule can be imposed in a state under Article 356 on the report of the governor if
the state machinery/legislature fails to abide by constitutional norms.
2.60 Suicides by daily wage earners rose between 2014 and 2016: Report
• Recently, the report named ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India’ was released by
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
• The data was released for 36 states and Union Territories and 53 metropolitan cities.
• Out of all the accidental and suicidal deaths 43.4% were due to traffic accidents, 7.3% were
due to drowning, 10.2% were due to sudden deaths, 5.6% were due to poisoning, 4.1% were
due to accidental fires.
Daily Wage Earner Suicides
• 25,164 daily wage earners took their own lives in 2016, which is the highest share of suicides
among all occupational groups.
• The number is 5.7% above the previous year’s 23,799, and is more than double the 11,379
suicides by farmers and agricultural labourers recorded during 2016.
• The number of suicides by daily wage earners has surpassed the number of suicides by
housewives for the second year in a row in 2016. Till 2014, housewives accounted for the
highest number of suicides.
• Daily wage earners accounted for 19.2%, or nearly a fifth of all suicides recorded in 2016, far
surpassing those engaged in agriculture (8.7%) and housewives (16.5%).
• Among states, Tamil Nadu accounted for the highest number of suicides by daily wage
earners (4,888), followed by Maharashtra (3,168).
Farmer Suicides
• Number of farmers who committed suicide in the year 2015 were 8,007 and in 2016 the
number came down to 6,270.
• The suicides of farm workers increased from 4595 in 2015 to 5109 in 2016.
• Maharashtra had the highest number of farmer suicide followed by Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh.
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2.61 ESIC to partner PMJAY to Provide Medical Care to ESIC beneficiaries
• Recently, ESIC has partnered with PMJAY– Ayushman Bharat to provide medical care to ESIC
beneficiaries in 102 designated newly implemented districts.
About ESIC
• The Employees State Insurance Corporation is a pioneer Social Security organization
providing comprehensive social security benefits like reasonable Medical Care and a range of
Cash Benefits in times of need such as employment injury, sickness, death etc.
• The ESI Act applies to premises/precincts where 10 or more persons are employed.
• The employees drawing wages up to Rs. 21,000/- a month are entitled to health insurance
cover and other benefits, under the ESI Act.
2.62 India gets USD 43 million from Green Climate Fund to boost climate resilience in 3 coastal
states
• Recently, India has kicked-off a USD 43 million project to boost climate resilience in three
coastal states in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• The project is funded by the Green Climate Fund, established within the framework of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to assist developing
countries.
• The Indian government will finance an additional USD 86.8 million towards the new project
to mainstream and accelerate the impacts of the Green Climate Fund grant.
About the Project
• The six-year project will build climate-resilient livelihoods for 1.7 million people in Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, offset 3.5 million tonnes of carbon, protect vulnerable
ecosystems, and benefit another 10 million people with improved shoreline protection.
• The project will work with communities in restoring ecosystems and promoting climate-
resilient livelihood options, such as the sustainable farming of mud crabs.
• It aligns well with the priorities of the National Action Plan on Climate Change, the State Action
Plans, and the nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement.
2.63 Delhi government launches Mukhya Mantri Septic Tank Safai Yojana
[Social Justice]
• Recently, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the Mukhyamantri Septic Tank Safai
Yojana — a scheme which will enable citizens to get their septic tanks cleaned for free.
• The Delhi government would issue a tender for the hiring of an agency which would be assisted
by officials of the Delhi Jal Board and other government agencies concerned for
technologically-assisted cleaning of septic tanks.
• A helpline number will be issued on which citizens will be able to ask for the service.
• The objective is to ensure that those forced to be a part of the manual scavenging trade do
not have to put their lives at risk.
Relevance
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• It will ensure the safety of sanitation workers and proper septic waste management to
prevent contamination of the Yamuna.
• Around 45 lakh citizens in both authorised and unauthorised colonies live in areas that do not
have sewer pipelines and depend on septic tanks.
2.64 Andhra Pradesh CM launches 'Nadu-Nedu' programme to transform School Education

• Recently, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the 'Nadu-
Nedu' programme which aims at transforming government schools into vibrant and
competitive institutions.
• This programme has been launched to introduce English medium from classes 1 to 6 in state-
run schools.
• Under the scheme, the government will transform all its schools with the required
infrastructure, including setting up English Labs, besides providing basic amenities like
furniture, toilets, running water, compound wall, blackboard, renovation.
• This programme will ensure involvement of parents' committees and a clean environment in
schools.
• In the first phase, the 'Nadu-Nedu' programme will be implemented in 15,715 schools.
• It will cover all schools in three years under a budget of Rs 12,000 crores. For the first year in
the initial phase, Rs 3,500 crores will be spent for infrastructure development.
• It has been announced that the government will introduce another scheme called 'Amma
Vodi' in January 2020 to give incentives to mothers who send their children to school and
continue their education till class 12.
2.65 Assam gets a mobile app to lodge complaints about child rights violation
[Social Justice]
• Recently, Assam got a mobile application named ‘Shishu Suraksha’ that will enable people
to lodge a complaint about the violation of child rights.
• This app is the brainchild of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR).
• It will enable users from all over the state to lodge complaints about the violation of child
rights.
• The purpose of the e-box is to empower citizens to take moral responsibility of protecting our
future generations.
2.66 Global bribery risk matrix 2019 released

[Human Development]
• Recently, the annual Bribery Risk Matrix 2019 was released by TRACE to measure business
bribery risk in 200 countries.
• TRACE is a US based organisation which provides ranking to various countries in terms of the
risk of bribery that companies face in doing business in those countries.
• Trace provides a score from 1 to 100 to each country for each domain and if a country gets a
higher score it means it is in a higher risk of business bribery.
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• Score is based on Four Factors:
1. Business Interactions with Government
2. Anti-Bribery Deterrence and Enforcement
3. Government and Civil Service Transparency
4. Capacity for Civil Society Oversight, including the role of the media
Key findings of the Index
• India has been placed at 78th spot with bribery risk of 48.
• Overall, New Zealand ranked first as the country with lowest bribery risk having risk score of
4 followed by Norway and Denmark.
• On the other hand, Somalia (200) is at last rank as the highest risk of bribe demands nation.
• Bangladesh emerged as the top most nation among the South Asian countries where the
bribery risk is high.
• Bhutan (52) has the lowest risk of bribery (41) in South Asia.
2.67 India's children face lifelong health burden of climate change: Lancet report
• Recently, a report named ‘Lancet Countdown Report 2019 on Health and Climate Change’
has been published by Lancet journal.
• This report is a comprehensive yearly analysis that tracks the progress across 41 indicators.
• The project is a collaboration of 120 experts from premier institutions all over the world
including WHO and World Bank.
Crop Production
• The average yield potential of maize and rice declined almost 2 per cent in India since the
1960s.
• Besides, the average yield potential for both soybean and winter wheat has declined by over
1%.
• The report claimed yields of four key crops — wheat, rice, maize and soyabean — would
decrease globally by 6 per cent, 3.2 per cent, 7.4 per cent and 3.1 per cent respectively with
rise by each degree Celsius rise in temperature.
Health Impacts
• Malnutrition is responsible for two-thirds of deaths under the age of five in India.
• Due to increased sea level, there will be rise in infections like gastroentitis, cholera, etc.
• The climate suitability for Vibro bacteria that causes Cholera will increase the disease by 3% as
compared to 1980s.
• Mortality due to Dengue will increase globally.
Climate Change threats to fisheries and aquaculture
• Sea-level rise
• Sea surface temperature rise
• Ocean Acidification
• Intense and Frequent extreme weather events
Pollution and Heat Stress
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• Dangerous levels of outdoor fine particulate air pollution (PM 2.5) contributed to over 529,500
premature deaths in the country in 2016. More than 97,400 of these were from coal
• The report warned according to WBGT that 22 billion additional hours of work will be lost
due to extreme heat.
• The temperature rise will lead to productivity loss at 0.8 to 5%.
2.68 India extends $28-mn aid to Nepal for rebuilding earthquake-hit houses
[Regional Economic cooperation]
• Recently, India has released the $28mn to Nepal as third tranche of financial aid to provide
help to people in Nuwakot and Gorkha districts rebuild their houses damaged in the
devastating earthquake in 2015.
• India committed USD 100 million as a grant for supporting these houses, in addition to USD
50 million from Line of Credit.
2.69 Skill Development Minister announced ‘India Skills 2020’

• Recently, Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship announced the launch of
‘India Skills 2020’.
• ‘India Skills 2020’ is a biennial competition to scout talent from the country, offering them a
platform to showcase their skills at national and international competitions.
• It also provides a platform for skilled and talented Indian youngsters to showcase their
abilities at regional and national level competitions in over 50 skills.
2.70 40th UNESCO General Conference held in Paris

• Recently, 40th UNESCO General Conference was held in Paris, France.
• At the event, Union Minister of Human Resource Development launched the first of its kind
‘Industry Guidelines on Digital Learning (discussion draft)’ at the Ministerial Roundtable on
‘Media and Information Literacy and Games in the Digital World’.
• The Draft Guidelines were developed by UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education
for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), responding to the Vizag Declaration on
Digital Learning adopted at TECH 2018.
• Also, ‘Games Bar’ was inaugurated at the UNESCO headquarters by UNESCO and UNESCO
MGIEP, in partnership with Samsung and other partners.
2.71 2nd edition of Paris Peace Forum held

[Human Development]
• Recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the 2nd edition of Paris Peace
Forum held in Paris, France.
About Paris Peace Forum
• It is an international event on global governance issues and multilateralism, held annually in
Paris, France.
• It puts specific focus on governance solutions in six major themes:
1. Peace & Security
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2. Development
3. Environment
4. New technologies
5. Inclusive economy
6. Culture & Education
• The creation of Paris Peace Forum was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in
2018.
2.72 39th India International Trade Fair begins at New Delhi

• Recently, the 39th India International Trade Fair was inaugurated at Pragati Maidan, New
Delhi.
• Theme (2019): 'Ease of Doing Business'.
• This year, the status of Partner Country has been accorded to Afghanistan while South Korea
will be the focus country.
2.73 India has Second-highest number of pneumonia deaths of children under age five: UNICEF
• Recently, United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF) has released a report on pneumonia.
• Acc. to the report, more than 8 lakh children died due to pneumonia in the world in 2018.
• As per the UNICEF Report, 1, 53,000 children died in the first month of birth.
• Nigeria has the highest number of deaths of 1, 62,000 children due to this disease.
• India ranks second, with 1, 27,000 deaths in 2018.
• Pakistan is in third place, where 58,000 children lost their lives.
• Pneumonia is the cause of 15 per cent of the total cases of deaths among children under five
years of age.
• Despite this, only three per cent of the expenditure on global infectious disease research is
spent on this disease.
• There is also a strong correlation between death and poverty due to pneumonia. No access
to drinking water, lack of adequate health care and lack of nutrition and indoor air pollution
increase the risk of the disease.
2.74 National Mission 'NISHTHA' launched in J&K

• Recently, National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement
(NISHTHA) was launched in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
About NISHTHA [National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement]
• It is a National Mission aimed at improving learning outcomes at Elementary level through
integrated Teacher Trainings.
• The programme aims to build the capacities of around 42 lakh participants covering- All
teachers and heads of elementary Government schools, faculty members of State Councils of
Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) and District Institutes of Education and Training
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(DIETs) and Block Resource Coordinators and Cluster Resource Coordinators in all States and
UTs.
• Under the programme, the teachers will develop their skills on various aspects related to-
o Learning Outcomes
o School Safety and Security
o ICT in teaching and learning including Artificial Intelligence
o Environmental Concerns
o School Based Assessment
• The training will be conducted by Key Resource Persons (KRPs) and State Resource Persons
(SRP) identified by the State and UTs.
2.75 European Investment Bank will stop funding fossil fuel projects by end of 2021
• Recently, the European Investment Bank has announced that it will stop funding fossil fuel
projects at the end of 2021.
• New energy lending policy will focus on accelerating clean energy innovations, energy
efficiency and renewable power generation.
• The bank has also set a new Emissions Performance Standard of 250g of CO2 per
Kilowatt/hour (KwH). This will replace the current 550g CO2/KwH standard.
• Under the new policy, energy projects applying for EIB funding will need to show they can
produce one kilowatt-hour of energy while emitting less than 250 grams of carbon dioxide.
• Gas projects are still possible but would have to be based on “new technologies,” such as
carbon capture and storage, combining heat and power generation or mixing in renewable
gases with the fossil natural gas.
2.76 AIIB to give $500-mn loan for Mumbai rail, $75 mn for renewable projects
• Recently, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has announced that it will give a $500-
million loan to develop suburban rail network in Mumbai and another $75 million to help
finance renewable energy projects in India.
• The Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) will use the funds for quadrupling of Virar-
Dahanu Road corridor of 64 kilometers.
• The funding will also help develop other safety measures around the rail infrastructure to
reduce fatalities.
• The $75-million loan approval has been in favour of Tata Cleantech Capital. The on-lending
facility would be used to increase private capital investment in renewable energy, power
transmission, and water infrastructure.
2.77 CBI sets up specialised unit to tackle child porn

[Social Justice]
• Recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation has a set up an online Child Sexual Abuse and
Exploitation (OCSAE) Prevention/Investigation Unit.
• It has been set up at New Delhi to counter the growing menace of child porn on the Internet.
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• This new "specialised unit" will collect intelligence not only on those who are allegedly
creating and transmitting such material on the Internet but also those who are browsing and
downloading such material.
• The perpetrators will be booked under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Information
Technology Act, 2000.
2.78 Brown to Green Report 2019 released

• Recently, the Brown to Green Report 2019 has been published by the Climate Transparency
partnership.
• The report is the most comprehensive review of G20 countries’ climate performance, mapping
achievements and drawbacks in their efforts to reduce emissions, adapt to climate impacts
and green the financial system.
India specific Findings
• India is the only country among G20 nations that is close to 1.5 degree Celsius temperature
rise ‘pathway’.
• In the power, India is currently investing most in renewable energy, while Brazil and
Germany are the only G20 countries with long-term renewable energy strategies.
Global findings
• G20 countries are responsible for 80% of global Green House Gas emissions.
• Every year between 1998 and 2017, the G20 countries lost 142 billion USD on an average due
to extreme weather events.
• Russia, France, Italy, Germany and India were the highest ranked countries that faced
economic losses from extreme weather events.
• Around 181 countries were taken for the ranking.
• The other countries like Russia, Indonesia, China, Saudi Arabia, EU and Turkey are lagging
ambitious NDC targets as required by Paris Agreement
• Acc. to the report, Australia was the worst performing country in terms of climate response.
2.79 Release of Water Quality Report for State Capitals & Delhi
• Department of Consumer Affairs has recently conducted a study on the quality of piped drinking
water being supplied in the country.
• The study has been conducted through Bureau of India Standards (BIS) against the Indian
Standard 10500:2012 (Specification for Drinking Water) as set by the BIS.
Parameters of the test
• Tests have been conducted on various parameters such as Organoleptic and Physical Tests,
Chemical test, Toxic substances and Bacteriological tests in the first stage.
Phases of the Test
• In the first phase, the samples of drinking water were drawn from various locations across
Delhi.
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• In the second phase, the samples were drawn from 20 State capitals.
• In the third phase, the samples from Capital cities of North Eastern States and SmartCities
identified by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have been drawn and are being tested. The
result of these are expected by 15th January 2020.
• In the fourth phase, it is proposed to test samples drawn from all the district headquarters of
the country and their testing is planned to be completed by 15th August 2020.
Result of the Test
• Delhi - all the samples have failed to comply with the requirements of the Indian Standard &
failed on several parameters.
• Mumbai – all the samples have complied with the requirements.
• Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Ranchi, Raipur, Amravati and Shimla - one or more samples did not
comply with the requirements of the Standard.
• 13 of the State Capitals - None of the samples have complied with the requirements of the Indian
Standard. (Chandigarh, Thiruvananthapuram, Patna, Bhopal, Guwahati, Bengaluru,
Gandhinagar, Lucknow, Jammu, Jaipur, Dehradun, Chennai, Kolkata).
2.80 Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the National Tribal Festival 'Aadi Mahotsav'
[Social Justice]
• Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri Amit Shah has inaugurated the National Tribal Festival 'Aadi
Mahotsav', in New Delhi.
• The tribal festival is called as Aadi Mahotsav will take place for 15 days starting from 16th
November 2019.
• Theme- “Celebration of the spirit of tribal culture, craft, cuisine and commerce”.
• Organized by - A joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs & Tribal Cooperative Marketing
Development Federation of India (TRIFED).
• The Aadi Mahotsav is an effort to take tribal commerce to the next level of digital and electronic
transactions.
• The Mahotsav is showcasing the electronic and digital skills of the tribals as a special attraction.
• During the Mahotsav, TRIBES India has also signed MOUs with Amazon, Amazon.com, Snapdeal,
Flipkart, PayTM and GEM.
2.81 Election Commission to set up visiting chair in memory of former CEC TN Seshan
• Election Commission of India has announced that it will establish a visiting chair on
Interdisciplinary Approach to Electoral Studies in memory of former Chief Election
Commissioner T N Seshan.
• The visiting chair will be established in the Centre for Curriculum Development at India
International Institute of Democracy and Election Management, New Delhi from 2020-2025.
• The Chair will be mentored by former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami.
Background
• Former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan has recently passed away at the age of 86.
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• He was known for enforcing the model code of conduct and led the electoral reforms in the
1990s.
2.82 Regional conference on 'Replication of Good Governance Practices' in J&K and Ladakh
concludes
• Regional Conference on ‘Replication of Good Governance Practices in Jammu & Kashmir and
Ladakh’ has recently concluded in Jammu.
• The conference has concluded with the adoption of “Jammu Resolution Sushasan Sankalp:
Jammu Ghoshana”.
• The Conference has resolved that Government of India and the participating State Governments
and the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh shall collaborate to:
1. Develop the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh as models of administrative
excellence using digital technologies in implementation of welfare Union Territory programs.
2. To make sustained efforts to create a transparent, accountable and people-centric
administration in the two UTs.
3. Improve the Citizen’s interface with Government by promotion of digital governance, citizen
centric governance, innovation and capacity building.
4. Refine and consolidate the successful local Governance initiatives and upscale them across the
states.
5. To improve the grievance redressal mechanisms by forging greater synergy between Awaaz e-
Awam and the CPGRAMS.
6. Promote the use of e-Office and move towards less paper Secretariats.
7. Promote capacity building and personnel administration by formulating mid-career training
programs and specific need-based training programs for officials.
8. Replicate the innovations and the best practices in successful national governance initiatives.
2.83 Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates 6th National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices and
Innovations in Public Health Care Systems
• Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated the Sixth
National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices and Innovations in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan also highlighted the noteworthy achievements in the health sector during the
past few years such as Ayushman Bharat, Telemedicine, NHP 2017, Medical Education, and
Health Systems Strengthening.
2.84 Inauguration of KPCS Plenary 2019

• The Plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is being hosted by
India in New Delhi.
• India is the current Chair of KPCS with Russian Federation as Vice Chair for the year 2019.
About Kimberley Process
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• The Kimberley Process is a joint initiative involving Government, International Diamond Industry
and Civil Society to stem the flow of Conflict Diamonds.
• “Conflict Diamonds” means rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance
conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.
About KPCS
• It has 55 members representing 82 countries including European Union (28 members).
• The Kimberley Process is chaired, on a rotating basis, by participating countries.
• As per the Scheme, each shipment of rough diamonds being exported and imported by crossing
an international border be transported in a tamper proof container and accompanied by a
validated Kimberley Process Certificate.
• The shipment can only be exported to a co-participant country in the KPCS.
• No uncertified shipments of rough diamonds are permitted to enter a participant country.
2.85 ADB, India Sign $91 Million Loan for Comprehensive Water Management in Karnataka
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India have signed a $91 million loan
agreement.
• The agreement has been signed to modernize the Vijayanagara Channel irrigation systems and
prepare river basin management plans in the Krishna river basin.
• This will help improve irrigation water use efficiency and contribute to improving sustainable
water security in Karnataka.
About the Investment Program
• The investment program consists of two project loans.
• The first project is helping the modernization of the Gondi irrigation system and supporting the
state with preparing a new water resources policy and other water governance strengthening
activities.
• Under the second project, about 30 water user cooperative societies will also be established and
strengthened for improving their farmer irrigation canals.
• The project interventions are also tackling inefficient water use in agriculture that accounts for
over 84% of the state’s total water use.
Relevance of the Program
• Improving irrigation efficiency under the investment program is expected to generate water
savings of 1,700 million cubic meters for use on an additional 160,000 hectares of farmland.
• Annual farm incomes are also projected to rise by as much as 50% for some marginal households.
2.86 29th Regional Contact Points (RCP) meeting of Asia Pacific (A/P) region of the World Customs
Organization (WCO) in Puducherry
• The 29th Regional Contact Points (RCP) meeting of Asia Pacific (A/P) region of the World Customs
Organization (WCO) has taken place at Puducherry in the month of November 2019.
• The meeting has organised by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
• The last RCP was organised in Nov 2018 in Jaipur.
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• This is an annual meeting in the region and is designed to address regional development in a
number of areas, to discuss on various issues linked to cross border trade procedures and to
enhance communication and experience sharing between the member countries.
About WCO
• WCO is the only inter-governmental international organisation that is engaged in setting up and
implementation of principles and standards for cross border procedures and Customs.
• It is headquartered in Brussels.
• It has more than 180 countries as its members.
• Globally, WCO consist of six regions, each headed by a member country as Vice Chair of that
region of WCO.
• India is member of Asia Pacific region of WCO and is also currently the Vice Chair since July
2018.
2.87 Atal Innovation Mission launched by government in schools to cultivate 1 million children in
India as Neoteric Innovators
• Government has setup the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at NITI Aayog to encourage the
schools to provide exposure of science and technology to students so that they can be exposed
with futuristic technology platforms.
• The objective of establishing AIM - to create scientific temper and cultivate the spirit of curiosity
and innovation among young minds.
• In schools, AIM facilitates to set up network of Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) in India.
ATL Labs in India
• The vision of Atal Tinkering Lab initiative is to ‘Cultivate 1 Million children in India as Neoteric
Innovators’.
• The objective of this scheme - To foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds
and inculcate skills such as design mind-set, computational thinking, adaptive learning,
physical computing, rapid calculations, measurements etc.
• A total of 8878 schools have been selected and 4670 schools have been given the ATL grant
in aid for establishment of ATL.
• A total of Rs.1000 crores is currently earmarked for the said mission upto financial year
2019-20.
2.88 National Gas Pipeline is Operational

• Government of India has envisaged to develop the National Gas Grid to increase the availability
of natural gas across the country.
• At present about 16,500 km natural gas pipeline is operational.
• Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is taking steps for development of natural
gas pipeline in order to cover additional area of the country through National Gas Grid.
• PNGRB has informed that approximately 1,820 km of natural gas pipelines have been
commissioned during April 2016 – March 2019.
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• It has commissioned about 530 km pipeline up to September 2019 in the current financial year.
2.89 Various initiatives of Ministry of HRD to promote Fit India Movement

• Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Human Resource Development has
prepared actionable points on Fit India Programme.
• The details of actionable points for implementation of Fit India in Higher Education Institutes are
as follows:
1. Implementation of policies and practices:
• Institutions to adopt and implement policies and practices that motivate students and staffs to
participate actively in health and wellness activities.
2. Physical Infrastructure :
• Every University/Institute shall have minimum infrastructure for their students and staff for
indoor/outdoor sports activities.
• Open playgrounds should be maintained for running, jogging, walking and other sports activities.
3. Promotion of Substance abuse free Campus:
• Implementation and achievement of tobacco and substance abuse free Campus status.
• There must be Zero Tolerance Policy in each and every university/institution with regard to
tobacco and substance abuse.
• Providing of counselling services through qualified consultants for mental health, stress
management and substance abuse.
Fit India Movement
• The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Fit India Movement on the occasion of
National Sports Day i.e August 29th and urged the people of the country to make fitness their life
style.
Aim of Fit India Movement
• It aims to encourage people to inculcate physical activity and sports in their everyday lives.
• The University Grant Commission has issued a letter to inform the universities to prepare for the
Fit India Movement.
• A committee has also been formed to advise the government on the Fit India Movement.
• The committee will consist of 28 members under the chairmanship of sports minister Kiren Rijiju
and will comprise government officials, members of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), national
sports federations, private bodies and fitness promoters.
2.90 Modernisation of Employment Exchanges

• According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the National Career Service (NCS) Project
is being implemented for the transformation of National Employment Service.
• The aim is to provide a variety of employment related services like job matching, career
counselling, vocational guidance, information on skill development courses, etc. – which are
available online on the National Career Service Portal.
About National Career Service Project
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• It envisages setting up of Model Career Centres (MCCs) in collaboration with States and other
institutions of repute to deliver employment services.
• The Central Government provides financial assistance to the States for establishment of MCCs
based on the proposals and scheme guidelines.
• These Model Career Centres can be replicated by the States from their own resources.
• The NCS project also has a component of interlinking of employment exchanges with NCS and
provides assistance to States for up gradation of infrastructures in employment exchanges.
2.91 Credit Exposure of MSMEs

• The total outstanding credit to the MSME sector by Scheduled Commercial Banks in the last three
years :
Government has taken several measures to facilitate availability of credit to Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises:
• Provisions of margin money subsidy under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme
(PMEGP)
• Credit Guarantee Support
• Scheme for Interest Subvention
• Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS)
• Loans to micro enterprises under the Prime Minister’s Mudra Yojana
• Support under Start up India and Stand up India programmes
• 59 minutes loan portal and MSME-Samadhaan portal
2.92 Union Minister for Rural Development Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates SARAS IITF
2019
• The Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Agriculture Shri Narendra Singh
has inaugurated the SARAS IITF Mela 2019 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• SARAS Mela is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods
Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).
Organized by
• Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) along with DAY-
NRLM, Minister for Rural Development (MoRD) has organized this Mela.
About SARAS Mela
• The aim is to bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) members formed under DAY-NRLM.
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• SARAS Mela provides a platform to these SHG women and a national level exposure to
understand the demand and taste of the urban customers in metros.
2.93 NITI Aayog releases Report on Building a 21st Century Health System for India
[Social Sectors - Health]
• NITI Aayog has released the report on ‘Health Systems for a New India: Building Blocks—
Potential Pathways to Reforms’.
• It has been released by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar in the presence of Bill Gates.
Focus Areas of the Report
• The report has identified 5 focus areas :
1. To deliver on unfinished public health agenda.
2. To change health financing away from out of pocket so spend into large insurers.
3. To integrate service delivery vertically and horizontally.
4. To empower citizens to become better buyers of health.
5. To harness the power of digital health.
Recommendations
• NITI Aayog has recommended that health system financing structure should be changed in such
a way that predominant undesirable out-of-pocket expenditure is reduced and spending is
directed towards larger risk-pools with strong strategic purchasing capabilities.
• It has stressed on best practices adopted by Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust of Karnataka
launched in 2010.
• This trust has empanelled hospitals from neighbouring states, for patients living in border areas
for their state health insurance scheme.
• The report focuses on breaking silos in the health space and removing fragmentation between
various initiatives, ensuring greater convergence between ministries as well as the Centre and
states.
Background
• In the month of June 2019, NITI Aayog published its health index rankings mapping the state of
healthcare across India.
• Kerala was ranked the best and Uttar Pradesh was rated as the worst as per the parameters.
2.94 WCD Ministry launches Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh

• Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh (BPKK) has been recently launched in New Delhi by the Union
Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD) and Textiles Smriti Irani, along with Bill Gates.
• The BPKK will be a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones in India for better
nutritional outcomes.
• On this occasion , The father of Indian Green Revolution Dr. M. S. Swaminathan has suggested a
five-point action programme to make India nutrition secure.
The five point Action Agenda
1. Ensure calorie rich diet for women, expectant mothers and children.
2. Ensure intake of proteins in the form of pulses to eradicate protein hunger in women and
children.
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3. Eradicate hidden hunger due to deficiency of micro nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin B, Iron and
Zinc.
4. Ensure clean drinking water supply.
5. Spreading nutrition literacy in every village particularly in mothers with children less than 100
days’ old.
Steps taken by the Government
• Government has created a separate Ministry of Jal Shakti which is now working on providing
clean drinking water to every household in the country.
• The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana Scheme (PMMVY) has reached out to 10 million
beneficiaries by compensating for wage losses.
• It has also been mentioned that for India to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) it
is now time to bring together the science of implementation with the science of communication
so that nutrition is on the political and administrative agenda along with hygiene and clean
drinking water.
2.95 Inclusion of New Tribes Under ST List

[Social Justice – Positive discrimination in favour of under privileged]
• The Government of India has laid down the modalities for determining the claims for inclusion
in, exclusion from and other modifications in the Orders specifying list of Scheduled Tribes.
• This information was given by Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Smt. Renuka Singh
Saruta in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
Modalities
• According to these modalities, only those proposals which have been recommended and
justified by the concerned State Government/ Union Territory Administration and concurred
with by the Registrar General of India (RGI) and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
are to be considered for amendment of legislation.
• All actions are taken with respect to proposals of State/UT Governments for the communities
demanding Scheduled Tribes status as per the modalities.
• These modalities are being followed for inclusion/exclusion of communities under ST list.
2.96 Indian Institute of Skills

• The National Policy on Skill Development and Skill India Mission was announced in 2015.
• This was done with the aim to tackle the skill challenges of India by addressing:
1. Inadequate overall capacity for skilling.
2. Acute shortages in critical areas on an average poor quality.
3. Employability of the skilling eco-system.
4. Low aspirational value associated with skill acquisition.
5. Lack of vertical progression pathways for vocational education.
About Indian Institute of Skills
• The Indian Institute of Skills (IISs) was conceptualized to address above mentioned issues and to
develop state of art skill institutions.
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• The vision is to build world-class skill training centres by learning from and imbibing best
practices from internationally renowned existing skill institutions.
• IISs are envisaged to have the unique features that would make them different from the existing
setup of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Polytechnics, Advanced Training Institutes (ATIs).
2.97 India’s Travel & Tourism competitiveness Index ranking has improved since 2013 and in 2019
it has bagged 34th position in 2019
• India’s Travel & Tourism competitiveness Index ranking since 2013 has improved.
• Ministry of Tourism has taken several steps for creation of tourism infrastructure in the country
so as to attract more tourists :
1. Launch of two flagship schemes:
• Swadesh Darshan - Integrated Development of Theme-Based Tourist Circuits.
• PRASHAD- Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive.
2. Ministry of Tourism has identified 17 sites in 12 clusters in the country for development as
Iconic Tourist Sites.
3. The “Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan”, envisages developing heritage sites and
making them tourist friendly, to enhance tourism potential and cultural importance in a planned
and phased manner.
• It is a collaborative effort by Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI), State/UTs Governments.
4. Ministry of Tourism also provides assistance to central agencies for the development of tourism
related infrastructure in the country.
2.98 Private Schools Providing Education to Tribal Students

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides financial assistance to Voluntary Organisations / Non-
Governmental Organisations under the scheme of ‘Aid to Voluntary Organisations working for
the welfare of Scheduled Tribes’.
• The assistance is provided for running and maintenance of residential schools, non-residential
schools and educational complexes.
Scheme of Grant in Aid to Voluntary Organisations working for Scheduled Castes
• The main objective behind the scheme is to involve the voluntary sector and training
institutions of repute to improve educational and socioeconomic conditions of the Scheduled
Castes.
• This is done with a view to upgrade skill to enable them to start income generating activities on
their own or get gainfully employed in some sector or the other.
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2.99 Home Ministry Launches Campaign To End Violence Against Women
[Gender Issues]
• The Home Ministry in collaboration with the UN Women has flagged off an awareness campaign
to end violence against women.
• The campaign has been launched from Sultanpur metro station in Delhi.
More about the campaign
• The initiative has been launched as part of the #OrangeTheWorld global campaign.
• Under the campaign, people would be made aware about India's single emergency helpline 112.
• 112 is an internationally recognised emergency number used in several countries.
• The emergency helpline 112 was launched as part of the Emergency Response Support System
(ERSS).
About ERSS
• The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) is one of the key projects of the Union Ministry
of Home Affairs under Nirbhaya Fund.
• The system has been designed to play a pivotal role in mitigation or preventing escalation of
crime, especially against women and children.
• The features of ERSS includes (a)computer aided dispatch of field resources to the location of
distress and (b)Citizens can send their emergency information through call, sms through the 112
mobile app.
About UN Women
• UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of
women.
• It supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality.
• It works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services
needed to ensure that the standards are effectively implemented and truly benefit women and
girls worldwide.
2.100 SAANS campaign launched to curb pneumonia deaths in kids

[Social Sectors-Health]
• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has launched a campaign called SAANS.
• SAANS stands for 'Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully' and is
aimed at reducing child mortality due to pneumonia.
More about the Campaign
• Under the campaign, a child suffering from pneumonia can be treated with pre-referral dose
of anti-biotic amoxicillin by ASHA workers.
• Health and Wellness centres can use pulse oximeter (device to monitor oxygen saturation) to
identify low oxygen levels in the blood of a child, and if required, treat him by use of oxygen
cylinders.
Relevance of the Campaign
• The campaign has been launched to mobilise people to protect children from pneumonia, and
train health personnel and other stakeholders to provide prioritised treatment to control the
disease.
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• Pneumonia contributes to around 15 per cent of deaths annually of children under the age of
five.
• The government aims to achieve a target of reducing pneumonia deaths among children to less
than three per 1000 live births by 2025.
2.101 India extends Visa-on-Arrival facility to UAE nationals

[Globalization]
• The Centre has extended the Visa-on-Arrival facility to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
nationals travelling to India.
• This has been done to strengthen people to people and trade links, as well as the strategic ties
between the two countries.
• The facility will be available to UAE nationals for a period of up to 60 days with double entry for
business, tourism, conference, and medical purposes.
• The facility will be available at six designated International Airports, namely, Bangalore,
Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.
2.102 ICMR inks deal with US body, Gates Foundation for healthcare research collaboration
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has inked a declaration of intent with a US
institution and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• This has been done to take forward an ongoing collaborative research and training programme
between India and USA.
Relevance
• The collaboration will establish a research fellowship programme for young scientists in India
and US to expand research that will advance discovery to improve clinical practice and benefit
public health in both countries.
• The initial focus of this fellowship programme is intended to engage scientists in infectious
disease and immunology research, with an emphasis on diseases that affect women and
children.
Awards at the event
• ICMR Lifetime Achievement Award has been awarded at the event.
• It has been given for Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare.
• The awards were presented to:
1. Dr Cyrus S Poonawalla, Chairman and Managing Director, Serum Institute of India
2. Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director, Biocon India
3. Dr Prakash Baba Amte, Director, Lok Biradari Prakalp.
• The awardees have been recognised for their efforts in providing better health care to people in
the country and globally through innovative diagnostics, cost-effective life-saving tools and
increasing access to healthcare at the grassroots.
2.103 Pakistan becomes first country to introduce new vaccine to combat typhoid
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• Pakistan has become the first country in the world to introduce a new typhoid vaccine called
TCV.
• This has been done to combat a drug-resistant strain of the potentially fatal disease in the Sindh
province of Pakistan.
About TCV
• Typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) is a one-dose vaccine, injected intramuscularly, that is lower in
cost and has higher efficacy.
• It is expected to provide long lasting immunity in adults, children and infants older than 9 months
of age.
Background
• Pakistani health officials have reported an ongoing outbreak of an extensively drug-resistant
typhoid fever that began in the country in November 2016.
• The strain of Salmonella Typhi bacteria has become a so-called “superbug” and has so far
infected around 11,000 people in Pakistan with Sindh province being the worst-hit.
2.104 Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by the Parliament
[Indian Political system]
• Recently, Parliament has passed the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill,
2019. Rajya Sabha has approved the bill recently while Lok Sabha had passed it in the last
session.
Features of the bill
• The Bill seeks to amend the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951.
• It has a provision to remove the President of the Congress party as a trustee and clarifies that
when there is no Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the leader of the single largest
Opposition party will be the trustee.
• The Bill also allows the Central government to terminate the term of a nominated trustee
before the expiry of the period of his term, without assigning any reason.
2.105 'Road Accidents in India-2018’ report released

[Human Development]
• Recently, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released the ‘Road Accidents in India,
2018’ report.
• It is an annual publication brought out by the Transport Research Wing of the Ministry of
Road Transport and Highways.
• It reports on accidents, related deaths and injuries, calendar year-wise, based on information
supplied by the Police Departments of States and UTs.
Key Findings of the report
• A total of 467044 road accidents were reported in the year 2018 as compared to a total of
464910 accidents in the year 2017.
• The report shows a daily average of 1,280 road crashes and 415 deaths. This translates into 53
crashes and the loss of 17 lives every hour. Road traffic injuries constitute the eighth leading
cause of deaths in India in 2018.
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• Total 151471 people were killed in road accidents in 2018 as against 147913 in 2017. The
death rate was increased by about 2.37 per cent in the period.
• The number of injuries in road accidents has decreased by 0.33 per cent in 2018 as compared
to 2017.
• National Highway constitutes only 1.94 per cent of the total road network of the country,
while its share in total road accidents is 30.2 per cent.
• Other roads that are about 95.1 per cent of the total roads were responsible for 45 per cent
accidents and 38 per cent deaths respectively.
• The number of hit and run cases in 2018 accounted for 18.9% of the deaths compared to
17.5% in 2017.
• The share of males in number of total accident deaths was 86% while the share of females
hovered around 14% in 2018.
• About 15 per cent of pedestrians lost their lives in road accident among others. The share of
cyclists in this was 2.4 per cent and the share of two-wheelers was 36.5 per cent.
• In 2018, Tamil Nadu recorded the most number of road accidents while Uttar Pradesh had
the highest number of persons died in road accidents.
2.106 2nd South Asia Safety Summit held in New Delhi

[Social Justice]
• Recently, Union Minister of Women and Child Development addressed the 2nd edition of
South Asia Safety Summit which was held in New Delhi.
• It was organised by Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and Facebook.
• Objective: To highlight issue of safety while individuals and communities are connected on the
digital platform.
Highlights of the meeting
• Formation of Ideal Internet Consortium: It is a working group of child safety practitioners that
will deliberate on safety issues and give recommendations to civil society, industry and
government.
• Launch of We Think Digital: It is a global digital literacy program and will partner with agencies
from both government and civil society.
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• The program will make use of learning modules to equip people with skills such as the ability
to think critically about what they see online, communicate respectfully, and engage in digital
discourse.
• #CreateCareConnect comic series: It is a digital literacy campaign around women and child
safety online. Facebook has partnered with the Ministry of Women and Child Development for
the campaign.
2.107 Haryana to set up new Foreign Cooperation department

• Recently, Haryana government has decided to create a new department called the
Department of 'Foreign Cooperation'.
• Objective: To focus on initiatives taken by the state for the promotion of investment, youth
employment and welfare of Non-Resident Indians.
About Foreign Cooperation Department
• The new Foreign Cooperation Department will primarily work to formulate country-wise
strategies to promote investment and employment in the state besides promoting skill
development, promotion of the state’s culture and the welfare of its people.
• The department will also maintain liaison with Indian Missions abroad/Ministry of External
Affairs/ foreign missions at New Delhi on matters pertaining to Haryana with regard to
investment, employment, education, skill development, and culture and NRI/PIO affairs.
2.108 IRCTC inks MoU with Karnataka tourism to run Golden Chariot train
• Recently, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC), a tourism arm
of Indian Railways has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Karnataka State
Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) to market and operate the Golden Chariot train.
• The Golden Chariot train which commenced operations in 2008 covers tourist attractions in
the state of Karnataka and other south Indian states.
2.109 Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2019

• Recently, on the ocassion of World Toilet Day 2019, Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019
awards were conferred to top ranked states, union territories, and districts in the various
categories.
• The top ranked States and Districts (overall) which received awards are as below:
• Top 3 States: 1) Tamil Nadu, 2) Haryana, 3) Gujarat
• Top 3 Districts: 1) Peddapalli, Telangana, 2) Faridabad, Haryana, 3) Rewari, Haryana
• State with maximum citizen participation: 1) Uttar Pradesh
Zonal Rankings:
• Northern Zone: 1) Haryana, 2) Uttar Pradesh, 3) Uttarakhand
• Southern Zone: 1) Tamil Nadu, 2) Telangana, 3) Kerala
• Western Zone: 1) Gujarat, 2) Maharashtra, 3) Madhya Pradesh
• Eastern Zone: 1) Jharkhand, 2) Chattisgarh, 3) West Bengal
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• North-East Zone: 1) Mizoram, 2) Sikkim, 3) Arunachal Pradesh
• Union Territories: 1) Daman & Diu, 2) Dadra & Nagar Haveli, 3) Puducherry
About Swachh Survekshan Grameen Survey
• The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation had commissioned “Swachh Survekshan
Grameen-2019” (SSG 2019) through an independent survey agency.
• The Swachhta Survey was carried out in 683 districts and 17,209 villages which included
feedback from people, direct observation by third party assessors and service level progress
by local administration.
2.110 Indian Steel Association to organise ISA – Steel Conclave 2019

• Recently, the Indian Steel Association supported by the Ministry of Steel organised the 2nd
Edition of “ISA – Steel Conclave 2019”, New Delhi to deliberate on Indian and Global
Perspectives of the Steel Industry.
• Union Minister for Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan was the Chief Guest at the Steel Conclave.
• A report on the “Status of Indian Steel Industry” was also released on the occasion. Awards
are presented under following categories:
1. Award for “Excellence in Steel Journalism”
2. Award for “Outstanding Researcher (Steel) in an Academic Institute/ R&D Labs”
3. Award for “Excellence in Innovation by Downstream Steel Industry”
4. Award for “Excellence in Domestic Sales by Downstream Steel Industry”
Steel Industry Overview
• World's 2nd largest producer of crude steel (106 MT) in calendar year 2018.
• Largest producer of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) or Sponge Iron (30.36MT) in the world.
• 3rd largest consumer of finished steel in 2018 [96MT] in the world.
• The steel sector contributes around 2% of the country's GDP and employs around 25 lakhs
persons in steel/allied sectors.
2.111 UP to raise Rs 7,000 crore from banks for 296-km Bundelkhand Expressway
[Human Development]
• The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to raise Rs 7,000 crore from a consortium of banks
for the Bundelkhand Expressway project, estimated to cost Rs 9,921 crore, including a land
cost of Rs 2,202 crore.
• The consortium would be led by public-sector lender Bank of Baroda (BoB), UP power
minister and state government.
• The loan would be raised by state nodal agency for the project UP Expressway Industrial
Development Authority (UPEIDA).
2.112 Health ministry signs pact with Gates Foundation for support in innovation
• Recently, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has signed a memorandum of
cooperation (MoC) with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
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• Under the MoC, Gates Foundation will provide technical, management and program design
support through its grantees and other partners, with a special focus on innovation, best
practices and enhancing performance management, while working closely with the
government.
• Efforts will be made to increase access to family planning measures amongst younger
women and reduce the burden of select infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, Visceral
Leishmaniasis and Lymphatic Filariasis.
• The work will also include strengthening of supply chains and monitoring systems while
focusing on budget utilization, management and skills of human resources for health,
ultimately bolstering the entire health system.
2.113 Assam Olympic Association will launch 'Grassroot Olympic - Mission Talent Hunt' to groom
talent
[Human Development]
• Recently, it has been announced that the Assam Olympic Association (AOA) will launch a new
programme called 'Grassroot Olympic - Mission Talent Hunt' to identify the sports talent in
the state and groom them.
• The committee will interact with grassroot level sports organizations, clubs, sports organizers.
• Also, it will prepare a detailed action plan and connect with the field to spot the talented
sportspersons.
• Sarbananda Sonowal is President of AOA and minister of state (MoS) for health Pijush
Hazarika is its vice-chairman.
2.114 ‘Hynniewtrep national liberation council’ banned by central government

• Recently, Meghalaya-based insurgent group HNLC (Hynniewtrep National Liberation
Council) has been banned by the central government, for its growing activities of violence
and other subversive acts.
• Centre also notified that HNLC’s activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of
India.
About Hynniewtrep national liberation council
• It is a militant organization operating in Meghalaya.
• It claims to represent the Khasi-Jaintia tribal people, and its aim is to free Meghalaya from
the alleged domination of the Garos and the outsiders from the Indian mainland.
2.115 EU offers technical assistance to Pakistan for FATF action plan implementation
• The European Union has offered technical assistance to Pakistan for the implementation of the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan.
• This has been announced in a joint press release issued at the conclusion of the 10th session of
the European Union-Pakistan Joint Commission.
• The joint commission has taken place in the month of November 2019 in Brussels , Belgium.
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Background
• In June 2018 , Pakistan was placed on the Grey List by Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and was
given a plan of action to complete it by October 2019, or face the risk of being placed on the
Black List with Iran and North Korea.
• FATF has retained Pakistan on its ‘Grey List’ , in the month of October till February 2020.
• This has been done because of its failure to take adequate action against money laundering and
terror financing.
2.116 India sent over 202,000 students to U.S. in 2018-19, second largest after China: report
• The Report ‘2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange’ has been recently
released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and US Department of State’s Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Findings of the Report
• The report has found that India has sent more than 202,000 students to the U.S. in 2018-19.
• This makes India the second largest source of foreign students after China.
• China has remained the largest source of international students for the tenth consecutive year.
• Students from India and China account for more than 50 per cent of international students.
Top 5 nations sending students to USA
• China , India , South Korea , Saudi Arabia and Canada are the top five nations sending students
to USA.
Fields studies in USA
• As many as 51.6 % of international students in the US pursued STEM(Science , Technology ,
Engineering , Math) fields in 2018/19.
• The number of international students in Math and Computer Science programs have grown by
by 9.4 %.
• Business and Management have become the second largest field of study for international
students.
• Engineering remained the largest academic field for international students in 2018/19, with
21.1 % of all international students.
2.117 World Bank submits master plan for $300-m logistics infra development in Kolkata
[World Bank]
• World Bank has submitted a conceptual master plan for development of logistics infrastructure
in West Bengal.
• The proposed project will entail a cost of around $300 million.
• This has been announced during the Logistics Colloquium organised by CII and the West Bengal
Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) in Kolkata.
More about the Project

• The focus of the project will be on multimodal logistics development, including rail and road.
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• The World Bank is also expected to review industrial parks, logistics hubs and SEZs in West Bengal
with the aim of improving logistics competitiveness, employment generation and ease of doing
business.
Background
• The spending by the government of West Bengal on infrastructure has been increased from Rs
1,758 crore in 2011 to Rs 9,553 crore in 2018.
• On account of this , West Bengal has been able to register SGDP growth of 12.58 per cent in
2018-19 against the national growth of around 5.5 per cent.
• The private sector is expected to generate employment for around 1.26 lakh people by
investing in logistics infrastructure in the state.
2.118 PSU insurance companies merger to be complete by December 2019

• The proposed merger of three insurance companies- National Insurance Co. Ltd., United India
Insurance Co. Ltd. and Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd. is going to be completed by December 2019.
• This merger is aimed at making the three organizations financially viable.
More about the merger
• As per the government plans, the merged entity is expected to begin operations from April 1st
2020.
• The government is also planning to list the merged entity on bourses to enable them to raise
funds.
• The move is also aimed at increasing the overall insurance penetration from the current 3.7%.
• The merged entity is also expected to soak up much of the workforce of the three firms, which
are already working on an optimal level.
Background
• This merger was announced in the budget of 2019-20 but could not be completed due to the
weak financial conditions.
• According to the guidelines of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of
India(IRDAI), general insurance companies need to maintain a minimum solvency ratio of 1.50
• As on March 31, 2019, the solvency ratio of National Insurance Co. was 1.04 and for Oriental
Insurance Co it was 1.57 and for United India Insurance it was 1.54.
2.119 15th Governing Council of South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme 2019 (SACEP) held
in Dhaka, Bangladesh
• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change & Information and
Broadcasting(I&B),Shri Prakash Javadekar has participated in the 15th Governing council meeting
(GCM) of the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme 2019 (SACEP).
• The SACEP has recently taken place in the month of November 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
About SACEP
• It was established by the South Asian governments in the year 1982.
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• Aim : to promote & support the protection, management, and enhancement of the
environment in the South Asian region.
• Members nations : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Pakistan,
Nepal.
Developments at the Meeting

• The minister has announced that India will put forward the demand for clean technology at
affordable cost and liberal financing from developed countries to developing countries during
the forthcoming Madrid Meeting on Climate Change.
• United Nations Climate Change Conference 2019 is scheduled to take place from December 2-
13, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.
2.120 Dr. Vinaya Shetty : IODA's First Indian and Asian General Vice President
[Human Development]
• Dr Vinaya Shetty has become the first Indian to be elected to the position of General Vice
President (GVP) of International Organisation Development Association (IODA).
• She has helped in change and transformation of numerous organisations across industries in
India.
About IODA
• IODA is a non-profit association , established in the year 1986.
• It is a community as well as a platform for OD (Organisational Development) professionals to
connect, share and exchange ideas.
• It has members from 50 countries that are initiating and supporting organizational and societal
change processes all over the world.
2.121 Coal Minister announces 300% increase in Ex-Gratia for fatal Coal Mine Accidents
• The Minister of Coal and Mines has recently announced 300 per cent hike in ex-gratia amount
from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 15 lakhs for fatal coal mines accidents.
• This welfare measure will cover over 3.5 lakh families of miners working under Coal India and
its subsidiaries in eight states of the country.
• These announcements have been made by the minister while at the inspection of Talcher
Coalfields in Mahanadi Coalfields Limited in Odisha.
About Mahanadi Coalfields
• It is the second biggest subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL) and contributes about 25 per cent
to the total coal production of Coal India Limited(CIL).
Announcements made by the Minister
• Mahanadi Coalfields would offer employment to over 4000 land oustees by the financial year
2024-25.
• Mahanadi Coalfields will invest more than Rs 9000 crores in years to come for creation of
railway infrastructure.
• Mahanadi coalfields will run Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) in the peripheral villages of its
operational areas for bringing free healthcare to the doorstep of the needy people.
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2.122 Exim Bank gives USD 30 mn line of credit to Ghana
• The Export-Import (Exim) Bank of India has provided a USD 30 million line of credit to Ghana.
• This has been done for financing the rehabilitation and up-gradation of potable water system
in Yendi, Ghana.
More about the credit line

• Under the arrangement, financing of export of eligible goods, works and services from India
would be allowed , subject to them being eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of
India and whose purchase may be agreed to be financed by the Exim Bank.
• Out of the total credit by Exim Bank under the agreement, goods, works and services of the value
of at least 75 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India and the
remaining 25 per cent of goods and services may be procured by the seller for the purpose of
eligible contract from outside India.
• The agreement under the LoC (soft loan or loan with low interest rate) is effective from
October 11, 2019.
• Under the LoC, the terminal utilisation period is 60 months after the scheduled completion date
of the project.
2.123 The India Justice Report 2019 released by Tata Trust

[Social Justice]
• The India Justice Report has been recently released by the Tata Trusts in collaboration with
Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, DAKSH,
TISS- Prayas and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.
Findings of the Report
• As per the findings, India has about 18,200 judges with about 23% sanctioned posts vacant.
• Maharashtra has topped the list of states in delivering justice to people followed by Kerala,
Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana.
• Among the small states (where population is less than one crore each), Goa has topped the list
followed by Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.
More about the Report
• The India Justice Report 2019 is based on publicly available data of different government entities
on the four pillars of justice delivery :
1. Police
2. Judiciary
3. Prisons
4. Legal aid
• The indicators, across the pillars have covered the themes like infrastructure, human resources,
diversity (gender, SC/ST/OBC), budgets, workload and trends over the last five years.
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2.124 “No Money For Terror” conference in Melbourne, Australia
[Human Development]
• The second edition of ‘No Money for Terror Conference’ has recently taken place in Melbourne
, Australia.
• The first such meeting was held in Paris in 2018.
• Organized by : Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) of over 100 countries and is jointly called The
Egmont Group.
• India will host the next 'No Money For Terror' Conference in 2020.
Background
• The conference is dedicated to the fight against terror financing.
• The Conference recognises the importance of international cooperation in the fight against
money laundering and financing of terrorism.
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2.125 Enrollment of Persons with Disabilities under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
[Social Justice]
• Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), there are certain incentives to encourage
participation of Persons with Disabilities, (PwD) in the skill training.
• These incentives are - post placement support , monthly conveyance allowance, boarding and
lodging etc.
Sector Skill Council
• There is an exclusive Sector Skill Council for PwDs called Skill Council for PwD (SCPwD) for
catering to the needs of the PwD candidates.
• These centres run training in PwD-friendly training centres.
• Such centres are structurally designed to enable PwD candidates to experience a beneficial
training such as availability of Braille, computer screen reader for visually impaired, sign
language interpreter for speech and hearing impaired at Training Centres.
2.126 MoS DoNER inaugurates 'Destination North East' festival in Varanasi

• The Festival ‘Destination North East’ has recently been inaugurated in Varanasi , Uttar Pradesh.
• Organized by - Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
Relevance of the function

• The function will offer an opportunity for the fusion of the two rich cultures of Ganga and
Brahmaputra which are represented by Varanasi and North East respectively.
• "Destination North East" 2019 is providing live experience to the audience.
• All the eight North Eastern States are participating in the event along with their respective
handicrafts, handloom, organic products and cultural troupes.
2.127 Export Development Fund

• India’s overall exports (merchandise and services) have increased from USD 498.63 billion in
2017-18 to USD 538.07 billion in 2018-19.
• It has registered a positive growth of 7.91% as compared to the previous year.
• India’s exports have also increased from USD 262.14 billion in 2018-19 (Apr-Sept) to USD 266.63
billion in 2019-20 (Apr-Sept), showing a positive growth of 1.71% during current year.
• Export Development Fund (EDF) in Exim Bank exists under the provisions of the Export-Import
Bank of India Act, 1981.
Government has taken following steps to increase exports and thereby earn foreign exchange for
the country:
1. A new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20 was launched on 1st April 2015 - This policy has
rationalised the earlier export promotion schemes and introduced two new schemes :
• Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for improving export of goods
• Services Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) for increasing exports of services.
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2. Interest Equalization Scheme on pre and post shipment rupee export credit was introduced in
the year 2015 for providing interest equalization at 3% for labour intensive/ MSME sectors.
• The rate was increased to 5% for MSME sectors in the year 2018 and merchant exporters were
covered under the scheme with effect from the year 2019.
3. Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) - was launched in the year 2017 to address the
export infrastructure gaps in the country.
4. A comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy was launched in December 2018 , with an aim to
double farmers’ income by 2022 and provides an impetus to agricultural exports.
5. Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme - launched for mitigating disadvantage of
higher cost of transportation for export of specified agriculture products.
6. A scheme for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) covering export of
garments and made-ups was notified in March 2019 for providing refund of duties/taxes at
higher rate.
2.128 Adarsh Railway Stations

[Human Development]
• Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has informed Rajya Sabha that 1149 Railway stations have been
developed under Adarsh Station Scheme by the end of last month.
• He has informed that 1253 stations have been identified for development under this scheme and
the remaining 104 stations are targeted to be developed in the current fiscal year.
• ‘Adarsh’ Station Scheme has been started since 2009-10 and currently the upgradation of
Railway stations are taken under ‘Adarsh Station Scheme’.
2.129 50th Conference of Governors in New Delhi

[Social Justice]
• The 50th annual Conference of Governors has recently taken place at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in
New Delhi, in the month of November 2019.
• The first such conference was organized in the year 1949.
• Prime Minister has observed that India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its Independence in
2022 and the 100th anniversary in 2047 and the role of the Governor is important in bringing
the administrative machinery closer to the people.
2.130 Mahila Sashaktikaran Scheme

[Social Justice]
• Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) Scheme was approved in November 2017 as a centrally sponsored
scheme.
• Nodal Ministry : Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Aim : to empower rural women through community participation.
More about the scheme
• Under the Scheme, Capacity Building of Women Collectives is envisaged to address the
livelihood needs of the women particularly those in remote/vulnerable areas where women
are not in a position to move out from their immediate surroundings for formal skill training.
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• This component is to be implemented in collaboration of NGO’s/ Cooperative Societies/ Krishi
Vigyan Kendras.
• Ministry of Women & Child Development has released funds (central share) for three
aspirational districts in Andhra Pradesh for undertaking block level activities in 8 blocks per
aspirational district.
• These districts are : Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and YSR Kadapa.
• A total number of 24 blocks at 8 blocks per aspirational district were identified by the
Government of Andhra Pradesh.
2.131 NSS report no.584: Drinking-water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Housing condition in India, NSS
76th round (July –December 2018)
[Human Development]
• The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has
conducted a survey on Drinking Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Housing Condition as a part of
76th round of National Sample Survey (NSS).
• Earlier the surveys on the same subject were carried out by NSO during the 65th round (July
2008 – June 2009) and 69th round (July – December 2012).
Objective of the Survey
• The main objective of the survey was to collect information on facilities of drinking water,
sanitation along with housing facilities available to the households and the micro environment
surrounding the houses which are important determinants of overall quality of living condition
of the people.
The important aspects on which the information was collected in the survey are:
• Type of the dwelling unit (viz. independent house, flat etc.)
• Tenurial status of the dwelling unit (viz. owned, hired, no dwelling etc.)
• Structure of the dwelling unit (viz. pucca, semi-pucca, katcha)
• Condition of the structure (viz. good, satisfactory, bad)
• Floor area of the dwelling unit
• Age of the house owned by the household
• Facilities available to the households in respect of drinking water, bathroom, latrine etc. and
micro environment surrounding the house like drainage system of the house, system of disposal
of household waste water, system of disposal of household garbage, problems of flies and
mosquitoes etc.
Findings of the Survey
Drinking Water Facility

• The major source of drinking water was hand pump for the households in the rural areas and
piped water into dwelling in the urban areas.
• About 42.9% of the households in the rural areas used hand pump as the principal source of
drinking water and about 40.9% of the households in the urban areas used piped water into
dwelling as the principal source of drinking water.
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• About 48.6% of the households in the rural and about 57.5% in the urban areas had exclusive
access to principal source of drinking water.
Bathroom and Sanitation Facility

• About 50.3% of the households in the rural and about 75.0% in the urban areas had exclusive
access to bathroom.
• About 56.6% of the households in rural and about 91.2% in urban areas had access to
bathroom. Among the households which had access to bathroom, about 48.4% in the rural areas
and about 74.8% in the urban areas used bathroom attached to the dwelling unit.
• About 71.3% of the households in the rural and about 96.2% in the urban areas had access to
latrine.
• About 48.0% of the households in the rural areas and about 86.1% of the households in the
urban areas had bathroom and latrine both within household premises.
Tenurial Status and Household Characteristics

• About 96.0% of the households in the rural and about 63.8% in the urban areas had their own
dwelling unit.
• Among the households living in houses (i.e. households with dwelling units), about 96.7% of the
households in the rural and about 91.5% in the urban areas used the house for residential
purpose only.
• Among the households living in houses, about 89.0% of the households in the rural and about
56.4% in the urban areas had independent house.
96.0% in the urban areas had the house of pucca structure.
• Among the households living in houses, average floor area of the dwelling unit was about 46.6
sq. m. in the rural and about 46.1 sq. m. in the urban areas.
Electricity for Domestics Use

99.1% in the urban areas had electricity for domestic use.
Micro Environment
99.1% in the urban areas had electricity for domestic use.
86.6% in the urban areas used LPG as fuel for cooking.
• Among the households living in houses, about 80.4% of the households in the rural areas had
no arrangement for collection of household garbage. In the urban areas, municipality made
arrangement for collection of household garbage for about 74.1% of the households.
2.132 Periodic Labour Force Survey: Quarterly Bulletin

[Human Development]
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• The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has
released the Quarterly Bulletin for the period January- March, 2019. It presents estimates of
labour force indicators, for urban areas.
Key Findings
• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in Current Weekly Status for all ages is estimated as
36% in the urban areas during January-March 2019 as compared to 35.6% during April- June
2018.
• The LFPR for men was estimated to be 56.2 per cent, while for women it was at 15 per cent in
the urban areas during the January-March 2019 period.
• Unemployment Rate (UR) in current weekly status in urban areas for all ages has been
estimated as 9.3% during January-March 2019 as compared to 9.8% during April- June 2018.
Periodic Labour Force Survey

• National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation, launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) on April 2017.
• The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) conducts the survey.
• The survey seeks to generate quarterly reports on Labour Force Indicators such as Labour Force
Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR) in urban
areas and an annual report for rural India.
2.133 Household social consumption in India: Health NSS 75th round

[Social Justice]
• The National Statistical Office(NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has
conducted the survey on Household Social Consumption related to Health.
Key takeaways from the survey
• The survey has found that 14% of the rural population and 19% of the urban population had
health expenditure coverage.
• However only 1% of urban population received health insurance from government health
protection schemes.
• In both rural and urban India, around 95% of ailments were treated by allopathy.
• Average medical expenditure per hospitalisation case (excluding childbirth) in rural India is
about Rs.16,676 and Rs.26,475 in urban India.
• In rural areas about 90% childbirths were institutional (in Government or private hospitals)
and in urban areas it was about 96%.
• The immunisation among children aged 0-5 years is about 59% of boys and 60% of girls at all-
India level. They had been fully immunised which means they have received all the prescribed
vaccinations.
About the survey
• The survey was conducted between July 2017 and June 2018. It was a part of the 75th round
of National Sample Survey.
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• The main objective of the survey was to gather basic quantitative information on the health
sector namely on morbidity, profile of ailments including their treatment, role of government
and private facilities in providing healthcare, expenditure on medicines among others.
2.134 All India Institute of Ayurveda Signs MoU with Western Sydney University Australia
[Social Sectors – Health]
• All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Western
Sydney University, Australia at New Delhi.
• The MoU will promote the collaboration in research and developing guidelines for integrating
Ayurveda principles with modern medicine.
• The memorandum was agreed and exchange on the occasion of the event “India Australia
International Education and Research Workshop” , which has recently taken place in New Delhi.
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3 GA + Finance in news
3.1 Rs 95,380 crore gross GST Revenue collected in October

[GST]
• The gross GST revenue collected in the month of October, 2019 is ₹ 95,380 crore of which
CGST is ₹ 17,582 crore, SGST is ₹ 23,674 crore, IGST is ₹ 46,517 crore and Cess is ₹ 7,607
crore.
• The revenue during October, 2019 has declined by 5.29% in comparison to the revenue
during October, 2018.
3.2 E-Stamp Counter launched at Tripura Gramin Bank in Agartala

[Recent Developments in the Financial Sector]
• Recently, the Tripura Gramin Bank in collaboration with Stock Holdings Corporation of
India Ltd. has launched an e-Stamp Counter at the Abhoynagar branch of Tripura Gramin
Bank in Agartala.
• This facility will bring 100% transparency and will also save the hard-earned money of
customers from forged vendors, who are involved with black-marketing of stamp papers.
• Customers have to pay only 10 rupees for purchases of e-Stamp from 10 rupees to 1,000
rupees, while 20 rupees for the purchase of e-stamp above 1,001 rupees.
3.3 Issue of additional instruments for augmenting regulatory capital for RRBs
[Banking System in India]
• Recently, it has been decided to allow RRBs to issue Perpetual Debt Instruments (PDIs)
eligible for inclusion as Tier 1 capital.
• Objective: It has been done with a view to provide RRBs additional options for augmenting
regulatory capital funds, so as to maintain the minimum prescribed CRAR, besides meeting
the increasing business requirements.
• The Perpetual Debt Instruments (PDI) that may be issued as bonds or debentures by RRBs
should meet the following terms and conditions to qualify for inclusion as Tier 1 Capital for
capital adequacy purposes:
Terms of Issue of Perpetual Debt Instruments (PDI)
• The amount of PDI to be raised (in Indian Rupees only) may be decided by the Board of
Directors of banks.
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• Within minimum Tier 1 of 7 percent, the Perpetual Debt Instruments will be limited to 1.5
per cent of the total risk weighted assets.
• Any additional amount raised through Perpetual Debt Instruments over and above the 1.5
per cent of the risk weighted assets will also be reckoned as Tier 1 capital provided the bank
complies with the minimum Tier 1 capital of 7 percent of risk weighted assets before
reckoning such additional amounts.
• The interest payable to the investors shall be either at a fixed rate or at a floating rate
referenced to a market determined rupee interest benchmark rate.
• PDI shall not be issued with a 'put option' or a 'step-up option'. However RRBs may issue the
instruments with a call option subject to strict compliance.
• The PDI shall not be subjected to a progressive discount for capital adequacy purposes
since these are perpetual.
Compliance with Reserve Requirements
• The total amount raised by a bank through PDI shall not be reckoned as liability for
calculation of net demand and time liabilities for the purpose of reserve requirements and,
as such, will not attract CRR / SLR requirements.
Reporting Requirements
• RRBs issuing PDI shall submit a report to Chief General Manager, Department of Supervision,
NABARD, Head Office, Mumbai giving details of the debt raised, including the terms of issue
specified at paragraph 1 above, together with a copy of the offer document soon after the
issue is completed.
Investments in PDIs
• RRB’s shall not invest in PDI issued by other banks including RRBs.
• RRBs shall not issue PDI to retail investors / FPI / NRIs.
Grant of Advances against PDI
• RRBs should not grant advances against the security of the PDI issued by them.
Classification in the Balance Sheet
• RRBs may indicate the amount raised by issue of PDI in the Balance Sheet under ‘Schedule 4
– Borrowings’.
Other Conditions
• RRBs are not permitted to issue Perpetual Debt Instruments to retail investors / FPIs / NRIs.
• RRBs shall issue the Perpetual Debt Instruments in Indian currency only.
3.4 Government unveils two IT initiatives for faster clearance of Imported Goods
[Role of e-governance in addressing the inefficiency in government sector]
• Recently, the government has unveiled two new IT initiatives- ICEDASH and ATITHI, for
improved monitoring and pace of customs clearance of imported goods.
• These initiatives will also facilitate arriving international passengers with e-filing of baggage
and currency declarations.
About ICEDASH
• It is an Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) monitoring dashboard of the Indian Customs helping
public see the daily Customs clearance times of import cargo at various ports and airports.
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• This dashboard has been developed by CBIC in collaboration with NIC. It can be accessed
through the CBIC website.
About ATITHI
• It is a mobile app for international travelers to file the Customs declaration in advance.
• Passengers can use this app to file declaration of dutiable items and currency with the Indian
Customs even before boarding the flight to India.
• It has also been developed by CBIC.
3.5 MSTC ties up with Allahabad Bank to develop e-auction platform

• Recently, MSTC Ltd has signed an agreement with Allahabad Bank for the development of a
dedicated e-Auction platform.
• It has been directly linked with the Indian Banking Association's portal for sale of non-
performing assets (NPAs) through the SARFAESI (Securitisation and Reconstruction of
Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest) Act.
About e-Auction platform
• The e-Auction platform will be a one-of-a-kind solution, where a bidder once registered, will
be able to participate in auctions for all banks.
How it will help?
• This move will help the banks monetise NPAs through a streamlined process, thereby,
increasing revenue generation.
3.6 RBI tightens variables pay norms for private bank CEOs
[RBI- Functions]
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened the variable pay policy of private
sector banks chief executive officer and whole time directors.
• RBI has mandated that variable pay should be at least 50% of the total compensation and
the total variable pay can be maximum 300% of fixed pay.
• In case variable pay is up to 200% of the fixed pay, a minimum of 50% of the variable pay,
and in case variable pay is above 200%, a minimum of 67% of the variable pay should be
via non-cash instruments.
• According to the new guidelines, in case that an executive is barred by statute or regulation
from grant of share linked instruments, the variable pay will be capped at 150% of the fixed
pay, but shall not be less than 50% of the fixed pay.
Applicability
• These norms are applicable for whole time directors, chief executive officers and ‘material
risk takers’ of private banks, including Local Area Banks, Small Finance Banks and Payments
Banks.
• It is also applicable for foreign banks operating in India by way of Wholly Owned Subsidiary
(WOS) structure.
Payment under Deferral Arrangements
• Minimum of 60% of the total variable pay must invariably be under deferral arrangements.
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• Further, if cash component is part of variable pay, at least 50% of the cash bonus should also
be deferred.
• The norms mandate deferral period should be a minimum of three years which would be
applicable to both the cash and non-cash components of the variable pay.
3.7 SEBI enhances governance norms of rating agencies

[Financial Institutions- SEBI]
• Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has announced that the chief
executive officer of a rating firm cannot be a member of the rating committee and such
committees will directly report to the chief rating officer.
• Also, independent directors should constitute one-third of the board of the rating agency.
• This has been done as part of its attempts to enhance the governance norms for credit rating
agencies.
New norms mentioned in SEBI circular
• One third of the board of a CRA (Credit Rating Agency) shall comprise independent
directors, if the board is chaired by a non-executive director.
• In case the board of the CRA is chaired by an executive director, half of the board shall
comprise independent directors.
• Board of a CRA will have to constitute ratings sub-committee, nomination and remuneration
committee and the chief ratings officer will directly report to the ratings sub-committee of
the board.
• The nomination and remuneration committee will be chaired by an independent director.
• CRAs have been mandated to record the minutes of the meeting with issuer management
during the rating process and incorporate it in the rating committee note.
• CRAs shall meet the audit committee of the rated entity, at least once in a year, to discuss
issues including related party transactions, internal financial control and other material
disclosures made by the management, which have a bearing on rating of the listed NCDs.
3.8 RBI has tightened NBFC liquidity norms

[RBI- Functions]
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened the liquidity management
framework for non-banking financial firms.
• This has been done to strengthen their asset-liability management following the liquidity
crisis faced by these firms in the past year.
Applicability
• The guidelines are applicable to all non deposit-taking NBFCs with an asset size of ₹100 crore
and above, systemically important Core Investment Companies and all deposit-taking NBFCs
irrespective of their asset size.
• However, these guidelines will not apply to Type 1 NBFC-NDs1, Non-Operating Financial
Holding Companies and Standalone Primary Dealers.
• It will be the responsibility of the Board of each NBFC to ensure that the guidelines are
adhered to.
Guidelines on Liquidity Risk Management Framework
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Maturity Buckets and Tolerance Limits
• The 1-30 day time bucket in the Statement of Structural Liquidity is segregated into granular
buckets of 1-7 days, 8-14 days, and 15-30 days.
• The net cumulative negative mismatches in the maturity buckets of 1-7 days, 8-14 days, and
15-30 days shall not exceed 10%, 10% and 20% of the cumulative cash outflows in the
respective time buckets.
Liquidity risk monitoring tools
• NBFCs shall adopt liquidity risk monitoring tools/metrics in order to capture strains in
liquidity position.
• Such monitoring tools shall cover-
a) Concentration of funding by counterparty/ instrument/ currency
b) Availability of unencumbered assets that can be used as collateral for raising funds
c) Certain early warning market-based indicators
Adoption of “stock” approach to liquidity
• NBFCs are mandated to monitor liquidity risk based on a “stock” approach to liquidity.
• The monitoring shall be by way of predefined internal limits as decided by the Board for
various critical ratios pertaining to liquidity risk.
Introduction of Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR)
• All non-deposit taking NBFCs with asset size of ₹ 10,000 crore and above, and all deposit
taking NBFCs irrespective of their asset size, shall maintain a liquidity buffer in terms of
LCR.
• As per the revised guidelines, all non-deposit taking NBFCs with the asset size of Rs 10,000
crore and above will have to maintain a minimum of 50% Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) as
high quality liquid assets (HQLA).
• While those NBFCs with assets of ₹5000-10,000 crore will have to maintain 30% LCR.
• In both cases, LCR will be progressively increased to 100% by December 2024.
• Core Investment Companies, Type 1 NBFC-NDs, Non-Operating Financial Holding Companies
and Standalone Primary Dealers are exempt from the applicability of LCR norms.
3.9 RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank Limited
[RBI- Functions]
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalty of ₹5 Crore on The
Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., Mehsana, Gujarat.
• Penalty has been imposed for non-compliance with the Master Directions on ‘Know Your
Customer (KYC)’.
• The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of
Section 47A(1)(c) and Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 for failure of the bank
to adhere to the aforesaid directions issued by RBI.
About Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank
• Head office: Mehsana, Gujarat
3.10 Sebi revives eKYC procedure for mutual fund investors

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• Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has revived Aadhaar-based
eKYC for mutual funds through a notification, in a major boost to the mutual fund industry.
• As per the notification, SEBI-registered mutual fund distributors and advisors will be able to
complete the eKYC process by registering themselves with a KYC user agency (KUA) as a sub-
KUA.
• The KUA would in turn be registered with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
• Only resident Indians will be eligible for the eKYC process.
Relevance
• This move can pave the way for a major expansion of the mutual fund industry.
• At present there are only around 2 crore mutual fund investors, less than 2% of India’s
population.
3.11 GeM partners with Indian Bank and Canara Bank for payment related services
• Recently, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has signed MoU with Indian Bank and Canara
Bank.
• The MoU will facilitate a cashless, paperless and transparent payment system on the portal
and would create an efficient procurement system for government entities.
About Indian Bank
• Headquarters: Chennai
• Tagline: Your own Bank
About Canara Bank
• Headquarters: Bengaluru
• Tagline: Together we can
3.12 GeM Partners with Central Bank of India for Payment Related Services
[Recent developments in Financial sector]
• Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has signed a MoU with Central Bank of India.
Relevance of this Service
• Through this partnership, Central Bank of India will be able to offer an array of services to the
registered users on the portal.
• These services include transfer of funds through GeM Pool Accounts (GPA), advising of
electronic Performance Bank Guarantees (e-PBG) and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD).
About GeM
• GeM is an initiative of the Government of India which offers a one stop platform for facilitating
online procurement of goods and services by Central and State government organizations.
• It provides tools for Direct Purchase, bidding and reverse auction for ensuring transparent and
efficient procurement.
Note
• CEO of GeM – Rajeev Kandpal
• CEO of Central Bank of India – Pallav Mohapatra

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3.13 FM chairs 21st Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)
• The 21st Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) has taken place
under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala
Sitharaman.
Developments in the meeting
• The Council reviewed the current global and domestic macro-economic situation and
financial stability and vulnerabilities issues, including inter-alia, those concerning NBFCs and
Credit Rating Agencies.
• It has also reviewed the action taken by members on the decision taken by FSDC.
• The Council also took note of the activities undertaken by the FSDC Sub-Committee chaired
by the Governor, RBI and the initiatives taken by the various regulators in the financial
sector.
About FSDC
• The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) is the apex level body of sectoral
regulators and was constituted in December, 2010.
• The Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister.
• Its members are :
1. Governor of Reserve Bank of India
2. Finance Secretary and/or Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs
3. Secretary of Department of Financial Services
4. Chief Economic Adviser of Ministry of Finance
5. Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India
6. Chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority
7. Chairman of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
8. Chairman of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board (IBBI).
3.14 DIN System of CBIC to come into force 8th November

[Direct and Indirect Taxes]
• The Documentation Identification Number (DIN) system of Central Board of Indirect Taxes
(CBIC) will come into existence from tomorrow, i.e., on Friday, 8th November 2019.
3.15 RBI panel proposes stricter rules for core investment companies
[RBI Functions]
• The Working Group (WG) set up by RBI to Review Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for
Core Investment Companies (CICs) has submitted its report with Recommendations.
Background
• The Reserve Bank of India had constituted a Working Group (WG) to Review Regulatory and
Supervisory Framework for Core Investment Companies (CICs) in the month of July 2019.
• Chairperson of the panel was Shri Tapan Ray, former Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Recommendations of the Working Group
1. Capital contribution by a CIC in a step-down CIC, over and above 10% of its owned funds,
should be deducted from its Adjusted Networth, as applicable to other NBFCs.
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• The panel has also recommended that step-down CICs may not be permitted to invest in any
other CIC, while allowing them to invest freely in other group companies.
2. The number of layers of CICs in a group should be restricted to two. As such, any CIC within
a group shall not make investment through more than a total of two layers of CICs, including
itself.
3. Every Group having a CIC should have a Group Risk Management Committee (GRMC).
4. Constitution of the Board level committees viz., Audit Committee and Nomination and
Remuneration Committee should be mandated.
5. Offsite returns may be designed by the Reserve Bank and may be prescribed for the CICs on
the lines of other NBFCs.
• The panel has recommended that Annual submission of Statutory Auditors Certificates may
also be mandated.
6. It has recommended that Onsite inspection of CICs may be conducted periodically.
What are CICs?
• Core investment companies are non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) holding not less
than 90% of their net assets in the form of investment in equity shares, preference shares,
bonds, debentures, debt or loans in group companies.
• Experts have been seeking a review of CIC guidelines ever since defaults by Infrastructure
Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS), a large systemically important core investment
company.
3.16 RBI slaps penalty on Gujarat-based Mehsana Urban Co-operative Bank

[RBI Functions]
• The RBI has imposed a penalty of ₹5 crore on Gujarat based Mehsana Urban Co-operative
Bank.
• This has been done for the contravention of norms on 'loans and advances to directors,
relatives and firms/concerns in which they are interested'.
3.17 SEBI asks MFs to report any changes in terms of investments to rating agencies
[Primary and Secondary Market]
• In its recent order, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has asked mutual fund houses
to inform valuation agencies and credit rating agencies immediately about any changes in
terms of investments, including extension in the maturity of a money market or debt
security, along-with reasons for such changes.
Money Market and Debt Security Funds
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• A money market fund is an open-ended mutual fund which invests in short-term debt
securities like treasury bills and commercial paper.
• While on the other hand, Debt security fund invests in fixed income securities like bonds and
Treasury bill.
Background
• Prior to this order, Mutual fund houses were required to inform the same to valuation agencies
only.
• In September 2019, SEBI ordered mutual funds to report about any changes to terms of an
investment, which may have an impact on valuation to valuation agencies immediately.
3.18 SEBI taps finance ministry over new tag for foreign-owned MFs
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently written to the finance ministry over
its recent circular tagging foreign-controlled mutual funds as investment vehicles.
• This has been done as SEBI fears that the new rules could force several equity asset managers
to freeze investment activity and even sell their holdings.
Background
• The recent circular under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) by SEBI defined
mutual funds with more than 50% foreign shareholding as investment vehicles.
• This will force them to comply with investment caps under foreign direct investment (FDI)
rules.
• For example, if a company is allowed 74% foreign shareholding under FDI rules, any investment
in it by an Indian mutual fund with more than 50% foreign shareholding will be considered part
of the 74% cap.
• Many funds may have to sell their holdings in companies where the overall “foreign holding"
has crossed the prescribed cap.
• Currently only category-III alternative investment funds, real estate investment trusts and
infrastructure investment trusts were categorized as investment vehicles.
3.19 RBI announces slew of measures to push digital payments in India

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently announced various steps to push digital payments
in India.
Steps announced by RBI
• The Reserve Bank of India has mandated banks not to charge savings bank account customers
for online transactions via NEFT from January 2020 – this has been done to make
transactions cheaper.
• It has proposed the setting up of acceptance development fund to increase, towards setting
up of payment infrastructure with effect from 1 January, 2020.
• It has also proposed to permit all authorized payment systems and instruments as wallets,
cards and instant payments system UPI to link FASTags- an electronic toll connection device
fixed on the windshield of a vehicle to enable drivers to zip through toll plazas without having
to stop.
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• It has enabled the processing of e-mandates for transactions through UPI.
• It has suggested to constitute a committee to assess the need for plurality of QR (quick
response) codes and merits of their co-existence or convergence from both systemic and
consumer viewpoints.
Background
• According to RBI, digital payments constituted a 96% of total non-cash retail payments
between October 2018 and September 2019.
• During the same period, the NEFT and instant payments system Unified Payments Interface
(UPI) clocked 252 crore and 874 crore transactions, with year-on-year growth of 20% and
263%, respectively.
3.20 RBI withdraws certain exemptions from Housing Finance Companies (HFCs)
[RBI- Functions]
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has withdrawn certain exemptions granted to
housing finance companies (HFCs), putting its regulations on a par with those of non-banking
financial companies (NBFCs).
• This comes after the recent amendment of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987, conferring
certain powers for regulation of HFCs with the Reserve Bank of India.
Withdrawn Exemptions
• HFCs are currently exempt from the provisions of Chapter IIIB of Reserve Bank of India Act,
1934.
Now, it has been decided to withdraw these exemptions and make the provisions of Chapter
IIIB except Section 45-IA of Reserve Bank of India Act applicable to them.
Following the withdrawal of these exemptions, it will be considered that the HFC is unable to
pay its debt if it fails to meet within five working days any lawful demand.
• Moreover, the central bank can now inspect any HFC to verify the correctness or
completeness of any statement, furnished to RBI.
• Another exemption taken away is with regard to the creation and maintenance of a reserve
fund.
Mortgage lenders will have to create a reserve fund and transfer at least 20% of its net profit
every year before any dividend is declared.
Background
• Recently, RBI announced that HFCs will be treated as one of the categories of non-banking
financial companies (NBFCs) for regulatory purposes.
• Also, recently Finance Act 2019 amended the National Housing Bank Act, 1987, conferring
certain powers for regulation of HFCs with the Reserve Bank of India.
• According to RBI, HFCs are currently exempt from the provisions of Chapter IIIB of Reserve
Bank of India Act, 1934.
• RBI has decided to withdraw these exemptions and make the provisions of Chapter IIIB except
Section 45-IA of Reserve Bank of India Act applicable to them.
Relevance of this step

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• Following the withdrawal of these exemptions, the Reserve Bank of India can order the
winding up of an HFC, if it finds that it is unable to pay its debt or if its continuance is
detrimental to public interest.
• It will be considered that the HFC is unable to pay its debt if it fails to meet within five working
days any lawful demand.
3.21 India’s GDP likely to grow 5% this fiscal: SBI report

[Measurement of growth]
• Recently, SBI research report named ‘Ecowrap’ has sharply cut the India’s GDP growth
forecast to 5% for FY 2019-20 from the earlier projection of 6%.
• The report, however, said the economic growth rate will pick up pace in 2020-21 to 6.2%.
3.22 FICCI signs Fintech MoU with Singapore

[Financial Inclusion-Use of technology]
• Recently, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) signed a
memorandum of understanding with Singapore Fintech Association (SFA).
• Objective: To share information about fintech and collaborate on mutually beneficial
initiatives that will further development of fintech industry in both the countries.
• The MoU was signed during the Fourth edition of Singapore Fintech Festival, the world’s
largest financial technology platform along with Singapore Week of Innovation and
Technology.
3.23 Moody's downgrades global sovereign rating outlook for 2020 to negative
[Recent developments in financial Sector]
• Recently, Moody's has cut its global sovereign outlook for 2020 to 'negative' from 'stable',
as disruptive and unpredictable world politics would slow growth and increase the risk of
economic or financial shocks.
• Moody's now expects growth in G20 group of top world economies to stay around 2.6% next
year, after 3% in 2018.
3.24 NCDEX launches agri-futures index AGRIDEX in tie-up with NSE Indices
[Primary and Secondary Markets]
• Recently, NCDEX has announced the launch of a return-based agri-futures index 'AGRIDEX'
in partnership with NSE Indices Ltd.
• AGRIDEX will track and replicate the performance of the ten most liquid commodities traded
on the NCDEX platform.
About NCDEX
• National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) offers derivatives trading in
commodities and has largest share in the agricultural commodities.
3.25 SEBI allows exchanges to modify commodity derivatives contracts


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• Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to give more
flexibility to exchanges regarding modifying contract specifications for all commodity
derivatives contracts.
Changes introduced
• SEBI has allowed exchanges to carry out non-material modifications and report to the
regulator and market participants at least 10 days in advance.
• SEBI has also allowed exchanges to modify contract specifications for material modifications
for all running contracts that have ‘nil’ open interest and those yet-to-be-launched contracts.
• Such modifications shall require approval from the product advisory committee (PAC) and
the regulatory oversight committee (ROC) of the exchange.
• Such changes need to be brought before SEBI and market participants at least one month
ahead of their scheduled date of application.
• The changes in contract modifications would bring in transparency.
3.26 Reserve Bank unveils ‘on tap’ guidelines for institutions to get financial aid from DEAP
[RBI- functions]
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India has decided to call for fresh applications ‘on tap’ for grant
of financial assistance from the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund (DEAP).
• It has been done in order to widen and deepen the depositor awareness efforts.
Background
• The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2012, Section 26A has been inserted in the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949.
• The Section empowers the Reserve Bank to establish a fund called Depositor Education and
Awareness Fund (DEA Fund).
• Accordingly, a Scheme was formulated and notified in the Official Gazette on May 24, 2014.
• The Scheme envisages registration of institutions, organisations and associations and grant
of financial assistance to them for promotion of depositors’ awareness.
• Based on the scrutiny of applications received, 25 entities were found suitable for registration.
• With a view to widening and deepening depositor awareness efforts, it has now been
decided to invite applications ‘on tap’ for registration of eligible entities.
3.27 Karnataka Bank launches CASA campaign

• Recently, Karnataka Bank has launched CASA (current account savings account) campaign.
• This nationwide account mobilisation campaign will run up to February 29, 2020.
• It has been organised with the aim to open 4.18 lakhs current & savings accounts by active
involvement of its 8000 plus workforce in all the branches across India.
3.28 HDFC Bank tops ₹7 trillion market capitalization

• Recently, HDFC Bank Ltd has crossed ₹7 trillion in market capitalization for the first time.
• It has become India's third firm and first lender to achieve this milestone.

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• Earlier, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd and Reliance Industries Ltd had achieved this
landmark.
• Currently, RIL is the most-valued company with a market capitalization of ₹9.32 trillion,
followed by TCS with at ₹8.19 trillion.
3.29 Ministry of Corporate Affairs has notified Insolvency and Bankruptcy Rules, 2019
[Public Sector Reforms]
• Recently, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy
(Insolvency and Liquidation Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to
Adjudicating Authority) Rules, 2019.
Objective
• It has been done to provide a generic framework for insolvency and liquidation proceedings
of systemically important Financial Service Providers (FSPs) other than banks.
Applicability
• The Rules shall apply to such FSPs or categories of FSPs, as will be notified by the Central
Government under section 227 from time to time in consultation with appropriate regulators,
for the purpose of their insolvency and liquidation proceedings.
Rules are subject to modifications as under:
• The CIRP of an FSP shall be initiated only on an application by the appropriate regulator.
• On admission of the application, the Adjudicating Authority shall appoint the individual, who
has been proposed by the appropriate regulator in the application for initiation of CIRP, as
the Administrator.
• While conducting a proceeding of an FSP, the Administrator shall have the same duties,
functions, obligations, responsibilities, rights, and powers of an insolvency professional,
interim resolution professional, resolution professional or liquidator, as the case may be. He
shall be appointed or replaced by the Adjudicating Authority on an application made by the
appropriate regulator in this behalf.
• The appropriate regulator may constitute an Advisory Committee of three or more experts
to advise the Administrator in the operations of the FSP during the CIRP.
• An interim moratorium shall commence on and from the date of filing of the application for
initiation of CIRP by the appropriate regulator till its admission or rejection by the Adjudicating
Authority.
• The provisions of interim-moratorium or moratorium shall not apply to any third-party
assets or properties in custody or possession of the FSP, including any funds, securities and
other assets required to be held in trust for the benefit of third parties.
• The Administrator shall take control and custody of third-party assets or properties in
custody or possession of the FSP and deal with them in the manner, to be notified by the
Central Government under section 227.
• The license or registration which authorizes the FSP to engage in the business of providing
financial services shall not be suspended or cancelled during the interim-moratorium and the
CIRP.

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• Upon approval of the resolution plan by the Committee of Creditors, the Administrator shall
seek ‘no objection’ from the appropriate regulator to the effect that it has no objection to the
persons, who would be in control or management of FSP after approval of the resolution plan.
• The appropriate regulator shall issue ‘no objection’ on the basis of the ‘fit and proper’ criteria
applicable to the business of the FSP without prejudice to the provision of Section 29A of
the Code.
• The FSP shall obtain prior permission of the appropriate regulator for initiating voluntary
liquidation proceedings.
• The Adjudicating Authority shall provide the appropriate regulator an opportunity of being
heard before passing an order for liquidation or dissolution of the FSP.
3.30 NBFCs with Rs 500 cr assets can go for insolvency resolution

[RBI- Functions]
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has recently notified that Reserve Bank of India can now seek
resolution of non-banking financial companies having assets worth of at least ₹500 crore under
the insolvency law.
• This notification has been issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and it specifies the
categories of financial service providers (FSPs) that can be taken up for resolution under the
"generic framework" of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
• This framework has been notified for dealing with systemically important FSPs, excluding banks,
under the Code wherein sectoral regulators can seek resolution of stressed entities.
Background
• This "generic framework” has been introduced against the backdrop of the ongoing liquidity
crisis in the non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) , which lead to the concerns about overall
stability of the financial sector.
• Section 227 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code enables the central government to notify, in
consultation with the financial sector regulators, FSPs or categories of FSPs for the purpose of
insolvency and liquidation proceedings.
3.31 FPIs infuse ₹19,203 crore into Indian capital markets in November 2019
[Portfolio Investment]
• Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs)have pumped in a net sum of ₹19,203 crore into the domestic
capital markets in the first half of November 2019 due to favourable domestic and global
factors.
• According to the latest depositories data, foreign investors have infused a net amount
of ₹14,435.6 crore into equities and ₹4,767.18 crore into the debt segment during November
1-15.
• This has led to the total net investment to ₹19,202.7 crore.
3.32 Nirmala Sitharaman kicks off drill to make GST return filing easier
[GST]

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• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has kicked off a nation-wide consultation with tax payers,
small businesses and accountants to make Goods and Services Tax (GST) return filing easier
and more user friendly.
Relevance
• New GST return is available on the portal for trial and consultations will be held all across the
country on December 7 to get feedback on the new system.
• About 85,000 returns on a voluntary basis have been filed so far although the new form becomes
mandatory from April 1, 2020.
3.33 Company Law Committee-2019 submits its report to Finance Minister

[Corporate Governance in the Banking sector]
• Recently, the Company Law Committee which was constituted by the Ministry of Corporate
Affairs has submitted its report on steps needed to be taken to further decriminalize the
provisions of the Companies Act, 2013 to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Recommendations of the Committee
• Proposed amendments in 46 penal provisions- To either remove criminality, or to restrict the
punishment to only fine, or to allow rectification of defaults through alternative methods.
• Re-categorization of 23 offences out of the 66 remaining compoundable offences under the
Companies Act- To be dealt with in the in-house adjudication framework wherein these
defaults would be subject to a penalty levied by an adjudicating officer.
• Quantum of penalties recommended are lower than the quantum of fines presently provided
in the Act.
• The Panel has also called for omitting, altogether, seven compoundable offences; limiting
punishment for 11 compoundable offences to only fine by removing provision for
imprisonment and recommending that 5 offences be dealt under alternative frameworks.
• It has suggested retention of status-quo in case of the non-compoundable offences.
• Extension of applicability of Section 446B (lower penalties for small companies and one
person companies) to all provisions which attract monetary penalties and extending the
benefit to producer companies and start-ups.
• Proposal of new benches of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal(NCLAT)
• Providing for appeal against the orders of the Regional Directors before the NCLT after due
examination.
3.34 RBI slaps Rs 2.50-crore fine on Bank of Baroda over non-compliance

[RBI- Functions]
• Recently, RBI has imposed Rs 2.50 crore fine on Bank of Baroda for non-compliance of
directions issued to it with regard to Bihar-based NGO Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Ltd.
• RBI has imposed a penalty aggregating to Rs 2.50 crore on the bank in exercise of powers
conferred under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
3.35 Reserve Bank of India imposes monetary penalty on Indian Bank

[RBI- Functions]

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• Recently, RBI has imposed monetary penalty of ₹1 crore on Indian Bank for non-compliance
with directions issued by RBI on Window-dressing of Balance Sheet and classification and
reporting of frauds.
• The penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of
Section 47 A (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
3.36 RBI turns down banks' plea to relax June 7 circular on stressed assets
[RBI- Functions]
• Banks are seeking some relaxation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on timelines and
modalities for reaching a resolution under the June 7 circular of RBI.
• This circular is on the prudential framework for resolution on stressed assets.
• But these banks have been turned down by the Reserve Bank of India.
Background
• Timeline for implementing the resolution plan under the June 7 circular would lapse from early
January 2020 but on a case-to-case basis.
• It is estimated that loans worth Rs 1.8–2 trillion, or nearly two-thirds of the Rs 3-trillion stressed
assets under the purview of ICAs, may be referred for resolution under the IBC.
About June 7 circular
• According to the June 7 circular, banks have to make an additional provisioning of 20 per cent
if the resolution plan isn’t implemented.
• Within one year another 15 per cent would be added ,taking the burden of additional
provisioning burden to 35 per cent.
• The circular allows for reversal of this provisioning, if resolution is pursued under the IBC.
3.37 Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches Instant Digital Savings and Instant Fixed Deposit Account
[Recent developments in financial sector]
• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has launched Instant Digital Savings Account and fixed deposit and
privilege savings account.
• The instant savings account allows customers to instantly open and operate a savings account
through mobile phones or a computer.
• Only two documents are required for this purpose : Aadhaar Card and Pan Card.
About Ujjivan Small Finance Bank
• Headquarter : Bengaluru , Karnataka
• CEO & MD : Samit Ghosh
3.38 Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launches 'Farmitra' mobile app for farmers
[Recent developments in financial sector]
• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has launched a new mobile app called 'Farmitra'.
• This app has been launched for the ease of farmers.
• It intends to help the farmers needs and address their worries.
More about the App
• The app 'Farmitra' provides services for even those who are not customers of Bajaj Allianz.

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• The farmers can buy other covers from the private insurer and also obtain information like
weather forecasts and market price of crops and locators for agriculture inputs.
• The application is currently implemented in 6 states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Haryana.
3.39 RBI plans 'college of supervisors' to prevent 'PMC Bank-like crisis'

[RBI Functions]
• Governor of Reserve Bank of India Shaktikanta Das has announced that Reserve Bank is in the
process of setting up a 'college of supervisors' to augment the supervisory skills of its key
personnel.
• The RBI has already created a unified department of supervision and a unified department of
regulation from November 1st 2019.
• This has been done to strengthen the oversight of commercial banks, cooperative banks and
NBFCs.
'50 years of bank nationalisation' Conference
• These governor was addressing a closed-door conference on '50 years of bank nationalisation'
, which was organised by Ahmedabad University.
Background
• This development comes in the background of the massive scam at Punjab & Maharashtra
Cooperative (PMC) Bank.
• PMC Bank had falsified its books for three years which could not be noticed in the annual
inspection by the RBI supervisors could not notice and take preventive action.
• After this , RBI is focusing on governance, risk management, internal audit and compliance
functions in banks more closely.
3.40 CBDT Chairman inaugurates Web Portal for exchange of information on Income Tax Website
• The tax department has launched a portal that will provide information, including about
procedures, related to automatic exchange of information under common reporting standard.
More about the Portal
• The Web Portal would be a repository of policy and technical circulars/guidance/notifications
issued by the CBDT.
• It would also provide links to relevant circulars/guidance issued by the regulatory authorities in
India and other international bodies.
• It consolidates all the relevant Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) related information
at one place for convenient access by financial institutions, Departmental officers as well as
public at large
Background
• India is committed to exchange financial account information automatically from 2017 under the
Common Reporting Standard (CRS) on AEOI.
• The required domestic legal framework was put in place in 2015 in order to implement the AEOI
standard.

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3.41 Basel III Capital Regulations- Review of transitional arrangements
[RBI Functions]
• The Reserve Bank of India has announced the deferring of the implementation of the last
tranche of 0.625% of Capital Conservation Buffer (CCB) from 31 March 2019 to 31 March 2020.
• Accordingly, minimum capital conservation ratios under 'Capital Conservation Buffer
Framework' as applicable from 31 March 2018 will also apply from 31 March 2019 till the CCB
attains the level of 2.5% on 31 March 2020.
• Further, the pre-specified trigger for loss absorption through conversion / write-down of
Additional Tier 1 instruments (PNCPS and PDI) shall remain at 5.5% of RWAs and will rise to
6.125% of RWAs on 31 March 2020.
Background
• Indian banks are required to maintain a minimum capital to risk weighted asset ratio (CRAR) at
9 percent, against the global Basel-III requirement of 8 percent.
• Along with that , Banks also have to keep a capital conservation buffer which was supposed to
be climbing to 2.5 percent by March 2019.
3.42 Regional Rural Banks - Priority Sector Lending – Targets and Classification updated by RBI
[RBI Functions]
• The revised guidelines on priority sector lending by Regional Rural Banks were made operational
with effect from January 1, 2016.
• Accordingly, the priority sector loans sanctioned under the guidelines issued prior to this date
will continue to be classified under priority sector till repayment/ maturity/ renewal.
Targets /Sub-targets for Priority sector:

• Regional Rural Banks(RRBs) will have a target of 75 per cent of their outstanding advances for
priority sector lending and sub-sector targets :
• The overall Priority Sector target should be achieved across all prescribed categories viz. –
Agriculture, MSME, Education, Housing, Social Infrastructure, Renewable Energy and Others.
• However, lending to Medium Enterprises, Social Infrastructure and Renewable Energy shall be
reckoned for priority sector achievement only up to 15 per cent of total outstanding.
• The computation of priority sector targets/sub-targets achievement will be based on the total
outstanding as on the corresponding date of the preceding year.

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3.43 RBI issues directions to ECBs, Trade Credits and Structured Obligations
[RBI Functions]
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued direction to External Commercial Borrowings (ECB)
and Trade Credits (TC) governed by Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) on March
26, 2019.
• These two types of borrowings are framed under FEM (Borrowing and Lending) Regulations,
2018 and FEM (Guarantees) Regulations, 2000.
• The directions issued by RBI lay down the modalities as to how the foreign exchange
business has to be conducted by the Authorised Persons with their customers/constituents
with a view to implementing the regulations framed.
ECB Regime
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has liberalised the norms related to external commercial
borrowing (ECB) by relaxing the end-use restrictions with regard to working capital, general
corporate purpose and repayment of rupee loans.
• According to it , eligible borrowers will now be allowed to raise following ECBs from recognised
lenders, except foreign branches and overseas subsidiaries of Indian banks, with a minimum
average maturity period of 10 years for working capital purposes and general corporate
purposes.
• Borrowers will be also allowed to raise ECBs with a minimum average maturity period of 7 years
for repayment of rupee loans availed domestically for capital expenditure.
Trade Credits
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed norms for imports of capital and non-capital goods
by raising the trade credit limit to $150 million under the automatic route.
• RBI has reduced the all-inclusive cost (all-in-cost) for overseas loans to benchmark rate plus
250 basis points from the earlier 350 bps.
• Trade credits (TCs) refer to the credits extended by the overseas supplier, bank, financial
institution and other permitted recognised lenders for maturity for imports of capital and non-
capital goods permissible.
• According to the revised framework, TCs up to $150 million or equivalent per import
transaction for oil and gas refining & marketing, airline and shipping companies can be availed
under the automatic route.
• For others, the limit is up to $50 million or equivalent per import transaction.
3.44 RBI to inject Rupee liquidity through long term USD/INR Buy/Sell Swap auction
[RBI Functions]
• The Reserve Bank of India is conducting the Dollar-Rupee (USD/INR) swap auction.
• This is being done in order to increase rupee liquidity in the market.
What is RBI Swap auction?
• The RBI has different tools through which it injects liquidity into financial markets.

8146207241
• Adjusting repo rates and purchasing bonds by conducting open market operations (OMO) are
a couple of tools which are used by RBI regularly either to increase or decrease the currency
supply in the market.
• The recently announced ‘swap auction’ is being done to increase the supply of rupees in the
market.
• Technically, this activity is termed as a USD/INR Buy/Sell Swap Auction.
How will this auction work?
• Through this auction, the RBI will buy US dollars from banks totalling to $5 billion.
• In turn the RBI will pay rupees to the participating banks at the current spot rate.
• At an average spot rate of 70 per dollar, the RBI will able to infuse about ₹35,000 crore into the
system through this auction process.
• Simultaneously, the banks will agree to buy-back the same amount of dollars from the RBI after
three years , which is the tenor of this auction.
• The participating banks have to bid in the auction by quoting a forward premium in terms of
paisa that they will pay to buy back the dollars.
• For example, if the spot exchange rate is 70 to a dollar, say Bank A quotes a premium of 150
paisa and bids for $25 million. So, the bank will get ₹175 crore ($25 million multiplied by the
exchange rate of 70). After three years, the bank has to pay back approximately ₹179 crore ($25
million multiplied by the exchange rate of 71.5) to the RBI to buy back $25 million.
3.45 Investment by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) in Debt

[Portfolio Investment]
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed one of the restrictions imposed on
foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) while investing in the Indian debt market.
• In a review last year, RBI stipulated that “no FPI (foreign portfolio investor) shall have an
exposure of more than 20% of its corporate bond portfolio to a single corporate (including
exposure to entities related to the corporate).
• FPIs had been given until the end of March this year to comply.
• But now, RBI has withdrawn the order which stipulated a 20% limit on investments by FPIs
in Corporate Bonds.
• The limit has been withdrawn “in order to encourage a wider spectrum of investors to access
the Indian corporate debt market”.
About Foreign Portfolio Investment
• Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) consists of securities and other financial assets held by
investors in another country.
• It can include stocks, ADRs, bonds, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds.
• It does not provide the investor with direct ownership of a company's assets and is relatively
liquid depending on the volatility of the market.

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3.46 Foreign Exchange Management (Export and import of Currency) (Amendment) Regulations,
2019
[RBI Functions]
• Recently, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has passed a notification to make certain amendments
in Foreign Exchange Management (Export and import of Currency) Regulations, 2015.
• The new Regulation will be called as Foreign Exchange Management (Export and import of
Currency) (Amendment) Regulations, 2019.
Amendment to Regulation 8
• The existing sub-Regulation (1) of Regulation 8 shall be substituted with the following:
• (1) take or send out of India to Nepal or Bhutan, currency notes of Government of India and
Reserve Bank of India notes (other than notes of denominations of above Rs. 100 in either
case), provided that an individual travelling from India to Nepal or Bhutan can carry Reserve
Bank of India notes of Mahatma Gandhi (new) Series of denominations Rs. 200/- and/or Rs.
500/- up to a total limit of Rs. 25,000.
About FEMA
• The Foreign Exchange Management Act (1999) has been introduced as a replacement for
earlier Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).
• It became an act on the 1st day of June, 2000.
• It was introduced because the FERA didn’t fit in with post-liberalisation policies.
• The main objective behind the Foreign Exchange Management Act (1999) is to consolidate
and amend the law relating to foreign exchange with the objective of facilitating external
trade and payments.
3.47 Investment by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) in Government Securities Medium Term
Framework
[Portfolio Investments]
• Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has notified an increase in investment limits for
foreign portfolio investor (FPI), in accordance with the medium-term framework applicable
for investment by FPIs in Government securities.
• The revised limits will be available for investment in financial year (FY) 2019-20.
Changes introduced
• The limit for FPI investment in central government securities (G-Secs), state development
loans (SDLs) and corporate bonds will be increased by 6%, 2% and 9% of outstanding stock of
securities, respectively, in FY 2019-20.
• The additional limits will be released in two tranches over the next financial year.
• The allocation ratio for increase in G-Secs limit over the two sub-categories, viz ‘general’ and
‘long-term’, has been set at 50:50 for the year 2019-20.
• The entire increase in limits for SDLs has been added to the ‘SDLs - general’ category.
• The coupon reinvestment arrangement has been extended to SDLs. Accordingly, FPIs will now
be allowed to reinvest coupons received on their investments in SDLs.
• The reinvestment facility is available for two working days.

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3.48 Reserve Bank of India (Prevention of Market Abuse) Directions, 2019
[RBI Functions]
• Recently, RBI has issued the RBI (Prevention of Market Abuse) Directions, 2019 to all persons
dealing in securities, money market instruments, foreign exchange instruments, derivatives
or others of similar nature.
• These guidelines have been issued to prevent misuse of price-sensitive information by
participants in markets for financial instruments.
Key Features of PMA Directions
Market Manipulation
• Market participants shall not engage in, or attempt to engage in, market manipulation.
• Market participants shall not undertake transactions on an ETP that may disrupt or delay its
functioning.
Benchmark Manipulation
• Market participants, either acting independently or in collusion, shall not undertake any
action, with the intention to manipulate the calculation of a benchmark rate or a reference
rate.
• No market participant shall carry out a transaction or initiate any action with the sole or
dominant intention of influencing a benchmark rate or a reference rate.
Misuse of information
• A market participant that is in possession of ‘Non-public price-sensitive information’ shall not
use it for any material benefit to itself or to others.
• Market participants shall not use ‘Price-sensitive customer information’ for transacting on
their own account in a manner that adversely affects the outcome for the customer in that
(those) transaction(s). They shall maintain confidentiality of price-sensitive customer
information.
• Market participants shall not intentionally create or transmit false or inaccurate information,
or, withhold timely information that is required to be reported or made public, that influences
or is likely to influence the price of any financial instrument. Transmission of false or inaccurate
information shall be deemed to have been done intentionally by a market participant if it had
not exercised due diligence as to the veracity of the information before transmitting.
Monitoring, compliance and reports
• Market participants shall report any instance of market abuse or attempted market abuse
detected by them to the Bank promptly.
• Market participants shall provide any data and/or information as required by the Bank in the
format and within the time frame prescribed.
Regulatory action for market abuse
• Market participants committing market abuse are liable to be denied access to markets in one
or more instruments for a period that may not exceed one month at a time.
• No such action shall be taken by the Bank without providing reasonable opportunity to the
market participant to defend its actions. All instances of such action shall be made public by
the Bank.

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3.49 Single deposit of Rs 2 cr and more to qualify as ‘bulk deposit’: RBI
[RBI Functions]
• Recently, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to raise the criteria for 'bulk deposits' for
banks to Rs 2 crore from the current Rs 1 crore.
• It has been done to provide more operational freedom to lenders to raise funds.
• RBI has given discretion to banks to offer differential rate of interest on the bulk deposits as
per their requirements and asset-liability management (ALM) projections, as Interest rate on
bulk deposits are marginally higher than smaller-amount fixed deposits for similar maturity
period.
• But, they can’t adopt this practice for term deposits of less than ₹1 crore where the interest
rate is fixed for a given maturity, irrespective of the amount deposited.
• RBI also proposed that banks would maintain their bulk deposit interest rate cards in the
core banking system for supervisory review.
3.50 RBI allows non-residents to participate in rupee interest rate derivatives market
[RBI Functions]
• Recently, the Reserve Bank has allowed non-residents to participate in the rupee interest
rate derivatives segment.
• It has been done with a view to deepen the rupee interest rate swap (IRS) market.
• Now, the non-residents can undertake rupee interest rate derivative transactions on
recognised stock exchanges, electronic trading platforms and over the counter markets
(OTCs).
• A non-resident will be allowed to undertake transactions in the rupee interest rate
derivatives markets to hedge an exposure to rupee interest rate risk and other specified
purposes.
• Also, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), collectively, can transact in interest rate futures (IRF)
up to a limit of net long position of Rs 5,000 crore.
About Interest Rate Swap
• An interest rate swap is a financial contract between two parties exchanging or swapping a
stream of interest payments for a notional principal amount on regular occasions during a
specified period.
3.51 Interest Subvention Scheme for MSMEs

[RBI Functions]
• The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has announced "Interest
Subvention Scheme for MSMEs".
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is the single national level nodal
implementation agency for the scheme.
Purpose of the Scheme

• The Scheme aims at encouraging both manufacturing and service enterprises to increase
productivity.

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• It provides incentives to MSMEs for onboarding on GST platform which helps in
formalization of economy, while reducing the cost of credit.
• The Scheme will be in operation for a period of two financial years FY 2019 and FY 2020.
Interest subvention
• The interest relief will be calculated at two percentage points per annum (2% p.a.), on
outstanding balance from time to time from the date of disbursal / drawal or the date of
notification of this scheme, whichever is later.

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November 1 to 23 (2019)| WWW.EDUTAP.CO.IN |HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.

1|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

Let us look at RBI Gr B first:

Phase 1 – GA Phase 2 – ESI Phase 2 – FM

Now let us take a look at NABARD Gr A and B examination:

Phase 1 – GA Phase 1 - ESI Phase 1- ARD Phase 2 – ESI

Why this division?

2|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

E) None of the above

Let us take another example.

E) None of the above

Let us take one last example:

In which of the following years was e-NAM launched?

3|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

C) Utpal Kumar Ganguly

E) None of the above

E) None of the above

4|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

How to read this document for Phase 1?

How to read this document for Phase 2?

Note - ARD month wise magazine is separately provided by us to

5|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

6|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

7|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

8|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

9|P a g e W WW. E D U T AP . CO . I N QUERY? HELLO@EDUTAP.CO.IN / 8146207241

1.169 Goa: Indian Coast Guard conducted ReSAREX-2019 .......................................................................... 41

1.1 Various states celebrated their ‘Formation Day’ on 1st November

1.4 Lt Gen Anup Banerji takes charge as DG AFMS

1.6 B. Suresh took over as AOC-in-C of Western Air Command

1.7 7th INDIA - US Economic and Financial Partnership meeting held

1.8 Google to buy Fitbit for $2.1 bn

1.9 Anand bags coveted Ezhuthachan Award 2019

1.10 S.P. Balasubrahmanyam selected for Chetana Award 2019

1.12 Rajinikanth to be conferred with Icon of Golden Jubilee Award at IFFI

1.14 Indian-origin researcher Neeraj Sharma awarded by Australian government

1.16 Former Karnataka Minister Vaijanath Patil dies at 81

1.18 PM addressed ‘Sawasdee PM Modi’ community programme in Bangkok

1.20 Meiraba Luwang clinches title in Korea Junior Open

1.21 IIT-Delhi to partner with ISRO to set up space technology cell

1.25 Pooja Gehlot wins silver in UWW Under-23 World Championships

1.26 Madrid to host 25th UN climate summit in December

1.30 Industrialist and son of Modinagar's founder, K K Modi passes away

1.31 World U-23 Wrestling championship held in Budapest, Hungary

1.32 IndusInd Bank finalises Sumant Kathpalia as new MD & CEO

1.33 PM attends 16th India - ASEAN Summit in Bangkok

1.35 Fifth India International Science Festival inaugurated at Kolkata

1.36 Satya Pal Malik takes oath as Goa Governor

1.37 China launches new Earth observation satellite

1.38 1st-ever India-Uzbekistan joint military exercise - Dustlik-2019 begins

1.40 Pegasus spyware to spy on government officials and journalists

1.41 ATP Rankings: Rafael Nadal Returns to No. 1

1.44 World Tsunami Awareness Day observed on 5th November

1.46 Indian Railways celebrated Vigilance Awareness Week 2019

1.50 Amy Kenealy retires from international cricket

1.52 Nagpur set to have India’s first four-layer transit intersection

1.53 Former Maharashtra minister Babasaheb Dhabekar dead

1.56 11th Bal Sangam to be organized by National School of Drama

1.57 'Uttam Rake' launched on 69th Foundation Day of Western Railway

1.58 Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan re-elected as President of UAE

1.60 Kumar Mangalam Birla conferred ABLF Global Asian award

1.61 11th edition of Infosys prize announced

1.62 Arvind Singh takes over as AAI chairman