CLAT EXPRESS - Jan - 2019

National
Who has been appointed the Chairperson of the CCIP? Ashok Kumar Gupta
Ashok Kumar Gupta, was appointed after the approval of Appointment
Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by PM Narendra Modi. CCI is a
quasi-judicial statutory body established under the Competition Act,
2002 to keep a tab on unfair business practices and protect interests of
consumers.
Who has been appointed the full-time Director of the Enforcement Direc- Sanjay Kumar Mishra
torate (ED)?
Sanjay Kumar Mishra, was appointed for a two year-term, after approval
of the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by PM Modi
Who has been appointed the Chairperson of AERB? Nageshwara Rao
Noted scientist Nageshwara Rao Guntur was appointed as the chairper- Guntur
son of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) by the Union Gov-
ernment for a three year term. AERB was established is November 1983
to carry out certain regulatory and safety functions in the nuclear and
radiation fields in India.
NITI Aayog constituted the Himalayan State Regional Council, chaired by Dr. V. K. Saraswat
NITI Aayog constituted the Himalayan State Regional Council to ensure
sustainable development of the Indian Himalayan region. Dr. V.K. Saras-
wat a member of the NITI Aayog will be the chairman of the council. The
Indian Himalayan Region comprises Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Hi-
machal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Na-
galand, Sikkim, Tripura, two districts of Assam namely Dima Hasao and
Karbi Anglong and Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal.
Which Indian shuttler retained his Men's Singles Crown in Syed Modi In- Sameer Verma
ternational Badminton Championship-2018?
Defending Champion Sameer Verma of India prevailed over China's Lu
Guangzu in the final in Lucknow to retain his Syed Modi International
© Law Prep Tutorial 1 CLAT Express – January 2019

Badminton Men's Singles Crown, 2018. Sameer was the only Indian play-
er who tasted success in Syed Modi Championship this year among many
Indian finalists. India's Saina Nehwal finished runner-up in the Women's
Singles event of Syed Modi as young Chinese Han Yue won the title.

International
Who has been elected the new President of Interpol? Kim Jong-yang
Kim Jong-yang of South Korea was elected as the President of Interpol,
an international police body in Dubai in the Interpol member states an-
nual congress. He will have a two-year term on the post. He succeeds
China's Meng Hongwei who disappeared in September this year and later
resigned from the post.
Salome Zurabishvili has been elected the first woman President of Georgia
Salome Zurabishvili emerged the winner in Georgia's presidential poll on
November 29, 2018, becoming the first woman President of Georgia.
Which country retained its top spot on the Global Talent ranking for 2018 Switzerland
by IMD Business School, Switzerland?
Switzerland retained its top spot for fifth successive year on the Global
Talent ranking for 2018 released by IMD Business School, Switzerland in
November, 2018. Denmark and Norway secured second and third posi-
tions respectively on the list. 'Investment and Development', 'Appeal and
Readiness' were the main factors to prepare the list which covers 63
countries of the world. Venezuela finished last on 63rd spot on the list.
Singapore was the highest country among Asian countries with 13th
rank. India suffered two spot loss this year in comparison to its 2017 edi-
tion performance. This year India was ranked on 53rd position.
Maldives became the 22nd member of Indian Ocean Rim
Maldives joined the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) as its 22nd Association (IORA)
member after its membership in the IORA, an inter-governmental organi-
zation was approved at the 18th meeting of the IORA council of Ministers
in Durban, South Africa on November 2, 2018. IORA was established in
1997 to strengthen regional cooperation and sustainable development
within the Indian ocean region.
UNESCO added Korean Wrestling to its list of 'Intangible Cultural Heritage Ssirum/Ssireum
of Humanity'. This Wrestling is known as
UNESCO added traditional Korean Wrestling to its list of 'Intangible Cul-
tural Heritage of Humanity' at UNESCO Inter-governmental Committee
for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Meeting in Port
Louis, accepting the joint bid of North and South Koreas for it. This tradi-
tional Korean Wrestling is known as 'Ssirum' (in North Korea) or Ssireum
in South Korea. It has a history stretching back 1800 years. This is the first
time the two Koreas have listed an intangible cultural heritage together.
Ssirum is a kind of wrestling of two opponents gripping each other by
waist belts and deploying various techniques to send each other to the
ground within a circular sandy ring.
Where was the inaugural Sustainable Blue Economy Conference orga- Nairobi
nized?

The inaugural Sustainable Blue Economy Conference was organized in
Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It was hosted by Kenya along with Japan
and Canada as co-hosts. 'The Blue Economy and the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development' was the theme of the event. Union Cabinet
Minister Nitin Gadkari represented India in the Conference. Kenyan Pres-
ident Uhuru Kenyatta in his address stressed a solid blue economy for
inclusive growth, climate resilience and food security. Blue economy is
chiefly based on coastal and oceanic resources.
Who clinched the ATP Finals Singles title for 2018? Alexander Zverev
Germany's Alexander Zverev registered a victory on Serbia's Novak Djo-
kovic in the final in London to clinch the season-ending ATP Finals Singles
title, 2018.

India Gets US Waiver on Iran Oil Import
The US has agreed to temporarily allow eight countries to continue buying Iranian oil after it reim-
posed crippling sanctions on Tehran on November 5, secretary of state Mike Pompeo said citing sig-
nificant reduction in imports of oil from the Persian Gulf nation.
Earlier in the day, a news agency quoted a US official as saying that the eight countries being ex-
empted from sanctions include India, Japan and South Korea.
Indian Space Tech Firm Wins Canada’s Start-up Mentorship

Bangalore-based space tech firm NOPO has become the first Indian start-up to be selected for Crea-
tive Destructive Lab's (CDL) globally renowned mentorship programme.
Nopo is among the first cohort of space stream launched by Toronto - headquartered CDL this fall.
Nopo CEO Gadhadar Reddy.
Nopo, which has worked with Indian Space Research Organisation, manufactures space-grade carbon
nanotubes.
CDL's programme was founded in 2015 by Indo-Canadian Ajay Agarwal, professor of entrepreneur-
ship at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto.
ISRO’s Heaviest Rocket Places GSAT-29 in Orbit

The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully placed another communication satellite—GSAT-
29 in orbit, while also achieving a crucial success of GSLV-MkIII rocket which is slated to launch two
big missions—Chandrayaan-2 and the human space mission in the next four years.
The satellite launch is the second test flight for the GSLV Mark-Ill rocket, which is also ISRO's heaviest
rocket. The rocket is capable of introducing four-tonne class satellites into a geostationary transfer
orbit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Singapore Visit; Attends ASEAN-India and

East Asia Summits
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Singapore visit on November 14-15, 2018.
He began his two-day visit by delivering his key-note address at the prestigious Fintech Festival.
The PM attended the ASEAN-lndia Breakfast Summit.
He also attended the 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore.
ASEAN-India Breakfast Summit
On November 15, 2018 PM Modi participated in the ASEAN-India informal Breakfast Summit in Sin-
gapore and underlined the need for maritime cooperation and centrality of trade for the prosperity
of the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
PM Attends East Asia Summit in Singapore, Gives Vision for Indo-Pacific
PM Modi attended the 13th East Asia summit in Singapore on November 15, 2018. It was Modi's 5th
East Asia Summit. India has been participating in the East Asia Summit since its inception in 2005.
The members of East Asia Summit consist of 10 ASEAN nations plus Australia, China, India, Japan,
New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US (18 members).
RCEP
In his remarks at the ASEAN-India Summit, Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged India to
join the 10-nation grouping in a push to create the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP), the world's largest free trade area, by 2019.
India Votes Against Draft Resolution on Death Penalty at UN Assembly

First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Paulomi Tripathi, said the resolution sought to
promote a moratorium on executions with the aim of abolishing death penalty. "My delegation has
voted against the resolution as a whole, as it goes against statutory law in India," she said.
Kartarpur Corridor Project Cleared by Union Cabinet

A religious corridor between India and Pakistan, aimed at providing easy passage to pilgrims to visit a
historic gurudwara in Pakistan where Guru Nanak is believed to have spent the last 18 years of his
life, has been cleared by the Union Cabinet.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the
550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Meanwhile, over 3,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims reached La-
hore, (Pakistan).
Why Kartarpur Gurudwara Famous?
The Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara is a historic Sikh pilgrimage, 120 km from Lahore, in Pakistan's Pun-
jab province.
The present-day Gurudwara was built at the site where Guru Nanak died on September 22, 1539. It
was at this place that Guru Nanak settled and assembled members of the Sikh community after his
missionary visits. The Gurudwara is visible from the Indian side of the border.
Centre Approved Renaming of 25 Places in Past One Year

The Centre has given consent to the renaming of at least 25 towns and villages across India in the
past one year and among the pending proposals is one for the renaming of the State of West Bengal.
Some of the major approved proposals are
Rajahmundry as Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh
Outer Wheeler as APJ Abdul Kalam Island, situated in Bhadrak district of Odisha
Arikkod as Areekode in Malappura district of Kerala
Pindari as Pandu-Pindara in Jind district of Haryana
Samphur as Sanphure in Kiphire district of Nagaland
Landgewadi to Narsinhagaon in Sangali district of Maharashtra
Garhi Sampla as Ch. Sir Chhotu Ram Nagar in Rohtak district of Haryana
Khatu Kalan village as Bari Khatu in Nagour district of Rajasthan
Mihgawan Chhakka and Mihgawan Tilia as Mihgawan Sarkar and Mihgawan Ghat respectively in
Panna district of Madhya Pradesh
Shukratal Khadar as Sukhtirth Khadar; and Shukratal Bangar as Sukhtirth Bangar in Muzaffarnagar
district in Uttar Pradesh
Several proposals, including the renaming of West Bengal as ‘Bangla’, are pending with the Centre.

Allahabad as Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh; and Faizabad as Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh are yet to be ap-
proved by Central Government.
Procedure
The Home Ministry gives its consent to the change of name of any place after taking no-objections
from the Ministry of Railways, Department of Posts and Survey of India. These organizations have to
confirm that there is no such town or village in their records with a name similar to the proposed
one. The renaming of a State requires amendment of the Constitution under Article 3 and 4 with a
simple majority in Parliament. For changing the name of a village or town, an executive order is
needed.
Statue of Unity Dedicated to the Nation

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the world's tallest statue, the ‘Statue of Unity', dedi-
cated to Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who served as the first home minister of independent
India. The date for the inauguration of the statue (October 31) also marks the 143rd birth anniversary
of Sardar Patel. Located on the Sadhu Bet Island on the Narmada River, the Statue of Unity is located
between the Satpura and the Vindhya mountain ranges.
A 3.5 km highway will be used to connect the statue to Gujarat's Kevadia town. It was built by Larsen
Toubro (LeT) and the statue is earthquake resistance upto 9.5 Richter scale. The Statue of Unity was
conceived by Padma Bhushan recipient sculptor Ram V. Sutar.
Top 5 Highest Statues of the World
Statue of Unity (India) Vallabhbhai Patel) (182 metres)
Spring Temple Buddha (China) Vairocana Buddha) (128 metres)
Laykyun Setkyar (Myanmar) Gautama Buddha) 115.8 metres)
A Ushiku Daibutsu Japan) Amitabh Buddha) 100 metres)
Sendai Daikannon Japan) Boddhisattv a Buddha) (99 metres)
Indian Railways' First Aerodynamic Engine Unveiled

Indian Railways has introduced its first engine with aerodynamic and ergonomic design produced by
state-owned Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW). The engines will be used to haul trains like Rajd-
hani Express/Gatiman Express, and Shatabdi Express at a maximum speed of 200 km per hour.
India's First Elephant Hospital Opened in Churmura village Mathura

Centre Approved First Tribal University in Andhra
The Union cabinet approved setting up of Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh. It will be es-
tablished in Relli village of Vizianagaram District as provided under the Thirteenth Schedule to the
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Supreme Court Now Opened for General Public

For the first time, the Supreme Court of India has been opened to the public. As per the notification
issued People can now visit the court as tourists and take a guided tour. An official of the court will
accompany the visitors, take them to courtrooms, inform them about the historical importance of
the building etc.
According to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, this is aimed at providing people some exposure to the
working of the Supreme Court. As of now, only litigants, lawyers and their staff and journalists are
allowed inside the Supreme Court.
India's First Robotic Dinosaurs Gallery Inaugurated

The country's first gallery on robotic dinosaurs was today opened to the public at the Pushpa Gujral
Science City.
Facebook Launched Literacy Library in 6 Indian Language

Facebook announced the launch of the Digital Literacy Library - a collection of lessons in Bengali,
Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam, in a bid to train 3 lakh Indians in digital safety.
Apex Court Banned 15 Years Old Vehicles in NCR

The Supreme Court prohibited the plying of 15-year-old petrol and 10-year-old diesel vehicles in the
national capital region and made it clear about the strict actions against those who violate the rule.
The bench of justices Madan B Lokur, S. Abdul Nazeer and Deepak Gupta directed the CPCB to im-
mediately create a social media account on which citizens could lodge their complaint about pollu-
tion directly.
Only BS VI Vehicles from 2020

The Supreme Court ordered that no Bharat Stage IV vehicle shall be sold across the country with ef-
fect from April 1, 2020. A three judge bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur made it clear that only
BS VI compliant vehicle shall be sold in the country from that date.
The Bharat Stage emission standards are standards instituted by the government to regulate output
of air pollutants from motor vehicles. In the year 2016, Centre had announced that the country
would skip BS-V norms altogether and adopt BS-VI norms by 2020.
Andhra Pradesh Gets a State Emblem

The Andhra Pradesh government has finalised its new emblem for official use, after the state’s bifur-
cation in 2014. The state emblem, inspired by the Amaravati School of Art, consists of “Dharma
Chakka”-“the Wheel of Law” embellished with a ring of Triratnas alternating with pinnate leaves and
precious stones.
The three circles of decorative beads are in ascending order of number - 48 in the inner, 118 in the
middle and 148 in the outer circle. The National Emblem is placed at the bottom of the emblem.
Andhra to Get New HC Next Year

The Supreme Court has given nod for a separate High Court for Andhra Pradesh and it will start func-
tioning from January 1 next year.
The new court, which will be the 25 th High Court in the country, will be established in Andhra
Pradesh’s de-facto capital Amravati. Presently, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have a common High
Court situated at Hyderabad. The existing court will from next year be known as the Telangana High
Court.

China Inks $ 1.3 Biliio Port Deal
India will be closely following developments following an agreement between China and Myanmar
on November, 8, 2018 to develop a multi-billion dollar deep sea port at Kyaukpyu on the Bay of Ben-
gal.
Located on the western coast of Myanmar in Rakhine state, the scaled-down port, part of a special
economic zone (SEZ), will not be far from a submarine base India is developing on its east coast, close
to Visakhapatnam.
Third Port
It will be the third China-built port in India's neighbourhood after Gwadar in Pakistan and Hambanto-
ta in Sri Lanka. China’s also funding the development of Chittagong port in Bangladesh.
Pakistan Premier Imran Khan Visits China

China on November 2, 2018 agreed to provide $6 billion in aid to Pakistan to minimize the cash-
strapped country's dependence on an IMF bailout package as Prime Minister Imran Khan held talks
with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Khan, who was in Beijing on his maiden visit, met Xi in the Great Hall of the People to were the two
leaders also held one-on-one meeting besides delegation level talks. Pakistan was reportedly going to
receive $6 billion economic package from China during the visit.
Saudi Arab's Assistance
China's expected assistance is the second $6 billion package which Khan has managed to obtain in
the last few weeks as Pakistan reeled under severe financial crisis. During his visit to Saudi Arabia in
October, 2018 Riyadh committed $6 billion in funding which included $3 billion in deferred payments
for crude oil imports.
Entire Island Vanishes in Japan, Govt. Begins ‘Search Op’

A search mission has been launched off the coast of Japan after an entire island disappeared. The
uninhabited islet to Esanbe Hanakita Kojima was used to delinate Japan's territorial waters. It is one
of 158 uninhabited islands that were given names by the country's government in 2014 to dearly
mark Japanese territorial waters. Under international laws, islands can be designated as such only if
they can be seen, above the sea surface even in high tides. If Esanbe Hanakita Kojima has sunk be-
neath the surface, Japanese territorial water will shrink.
New Caledonia to Stay with France

The Pacific islands of New Caledonia voted to remain part of France in an independence referendum
that showed support for Paris in one of its many far-flung but strategic outposts.
Some 18,000 kilometers from the French mainland, New Caledonia is home to a quarter of the
world's known supplies of nickel - a vital electronics component and is a foothold for France in the
Pacific where China is increasing its influence.
The Issue of New American Sanctions on Iran: Sanctions on Iran Unset-

tling Global Balance: Turkish President
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Endogan hit out at new sanctions on Iran imposed by the administra-
tion of US President Donald Trump, saying they were aimed at unsettling the global balance and
were against international law.
Global Leaders Mark 100 Years Since End of World War I in Paris
Armistic Day: Trump, Putin, Marcon, Merkel, mark historic occasion in Paris on Novermber 11,
2018.
World leaders gathered in Paris and led commemoration on November 11, 2018 to mark 100 years
since the end of World War I at a time of growing nationalism and diplomatic tensions.
The Two Koreas Disarm 22 Guard Posts on Border

Another meaningful step towards reconciliation between the two.
The North and South Korean militaries completed withdrawing troops and fire-arms from 22 rron-
tline guard posts on November 10, 201S as they continue to implement a wide ranging agreement
reached in September, 2018 to reduce tensions across the world's most fortified border, a South Ko-
rean defence ministry ofricial said.
China Shows off J-20 Jet’s Missiles

China has shown the missiles in its advanced J-20 stealth fighter jet to the public for the first time at
its largest air show, the Global Times newspaper reported on November 11, 2018.
Two J-20 fighter jets opened their missile bay doors during a flypast on November 12, 2018, revealing
that each jet had four missiles in its fuselage and one on either side of the aircraft.
APEC Summit 2018

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit was held at Port Moresby Farua New Guinea on
November 17-18, 2018. It was the first time Papua New Guinea hosted the APEC meet.
Australia provided a quarter to a third of the cost to host the meetings and also helped with logistics
and security.
The Theme
The theme of the APEC was, however, "Harnessing Inclusive Opportunities, Embracing the Digital
Future".
The theme sought to drive APEC's collective work on growth and connectivity and bring to the fore
discussion on the digital future that APEC beyond 2020 can embrace.
APEC 2018 Policy Priorities
Policy Priority 1 : Improving digital connectivity, depending Regional Economic Integration.
Policy Priority 2 : Promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.
Policy Priority 3 : Strengthening inclusive economic growth through structural reform.
Attendees at the 2018 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting
Member Economies : Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Ko-
rea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Tai-
wan, Thailand United States and Vietnam.
Note: Mexican President Enrique Pena Niet, Peruvian President Martin Veizcarra, Russian President
Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump did not attend the leaders summit. Representatives of
each country were sent to attend on their behalf.
Two Koreas Connect DMZ Road Across Border

North and South Korea have connected a road across their shared border for the first time in 14
years, South Korea's defence ministry said on November 22, 2018 in the latest reconciliation gesture
between the neighbours.
The dirt road, which is wholly within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the peninsula, will be
used for joint operations next year to recover remains from the 1950-53 Korean War.
The 12-metre-wide construction of the route in Cheorwon, near the midpoint of the DMZ, is one of
several steps agreed at the Pyongyang summit between the South's President Moon Jae-in and the
North's leader Kim Jong-un in September.
NASA’s Insight Lands on Mars

It aims to unveil the Red Planet's inner mysteries, such as its formation.
Cheers and applause erurred at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory late night as its Mars rover Insight
touched down on the Red planet, capping a nearly seven-year journey from design to launch to land-
ing.
The spacecraft is NASA’s first to touch down on the earth’s neighbouring planet since the Curiosity
rover arrived in 2012.
Maldives to Rejoin Commonwealth Group

The new president of the Maldives has decided that the country will rejoin the Commonwealth group
of former British colonies after a two-year absence. The decision was made after the Cabinet of Pres-
ident Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's recommended the move on November 19, 2018.
Former President Yameen Abdul Gayoom pulled the Maldives out of Commonwealth in 2016. He had
accused the group of interfering with the country's internal affairs after it the group raised the con-
cerns over democracy and human rights.
Saudi Arabia Launched Its First Nuclear Plant

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman laid the foundation stone for the kingdom's first nuclear
research reactor at King Abdulaziz City in Riyadh).
Crown Prince also launched seven strategic projects in the fields of renewable energy, atomic energy,
water desalination, genetic medicine and the aircraft industry. The world's top crude exporter plans
to build 16 nuclear reactors over the next two decades for $ 80 billion.
Sculpture Unveiled in UK to Honour Indian Soldiers

A sculpture in honour of Indian soldiers who fought during the First World War was unveiled in the
town of Smethwick in the West Midlands region of England.
The 10-foot bronze statue was unveiled in Smethwick High Street to commemorate the 100th anni-
versary of the end of the First World War in November 1918, also referred to as the Great War.

Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick had commissioned the Lions of the Great War monument, which
depicts a turbaned Sikh soldier, to honour the sacrifices made by millions of South Asian service per-
sonnel of all faiths who fought for Britain in the world wars and other conflicts as part of the British
Indian Army.
Leaning Tower of Pisa Straightened by 4 cm

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is now stable and has even straightened slightly thanks to engineering
work to save the world-renowned tourist attraction. The tower's Surveillance Group set up to moni-
tor restoration progress revealed that after 17 years of effort, the 57-metre (186-feet) monument
had straightened by four centimetres (1.5 inches).
The medieval tower, a symbol of the power of the maritime republic of Pisa in the Middle Age, has
leaned to one side ever since building started in 1173 AD.
Canada Apologized for Turning Away Jewish Refugees

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on November 8, 2018 apologized on behalf of Canada for turning away
Jewish refugees who were fleeing atrocities in Europe. In 1939, the MS St. Louis was carrying 907
German Jewish passengers fleeing Nazi violence. The ship was refused by then-prime minister Mack-
enzie King.
Pak Supreme Court Acquitted Asia Bibi
The Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted Asia Bibi, a Christian woman condemned to death on blas-
phemy charges, after accepting her appeal against her sentence.
Singapore Ranked First In Global Passport Index 2018

According to the latest released Global Passport Index, Singapore and Germany has the world's
“most powerful ' passport with access to 165 countries by both nations’ passports. This is followed by
Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
The results are published by Henley and Partners’ annual passport index, which ranks passports
based on the number of countries a holder can go to without a visa or the number of countries a
holder can go to where they can obtain a visa, visitor’s permit, or electronic travel authority upon
arrival.
The Indian passport was ranked 66th in the world in the latest ranking of the Global Passport Index.
The ranking of Indian passport, granting its holders visa-free access to 66 countries, improved nine
positions since the previous year. Falling in the last place of the list is Afghanistan, ranked 91 with a
score of 22, followed by Pakistan and Iraq at 90 with a score 27 and 26 respectively.
Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn Arrested For Corruption Charges

Carlos Ghosn, the head of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, has been arrested following
charges of corruption and misconduct. Carlos also been removed from his position at the Nissan Mo-
tor Corporation.
The Renault-Nissan boss has been charged with 'significant acts of misconduct' including personal
use of the automaker's company assets along with charges of under reporting his pay package.
'Toxic' is Oxford 2018 Word of the Year

Oxford Dictionaries named “Toxic” its 2018 Word of the Year. The British publisher announced that
“Toxic” was chosen over words like “Techlash” and “Gaslighting” due to its sheer scope of its applica-
tion.

The dictionary defines “Toxic” as “poisonous” with its roots derived from the Medieval Latin term
“Toxicus,” meaning poisoned or infused with poison. Data from Oxford Dictionaries shows a 45 per-
cent increase in the number of times people have looked up the word on its website. Previous words
of the year that included were “Youthquake” and “Post-truth.”
China-France 'Oceanography Satellite' Launched

A joint Oceanography Research Mission developed by Chinese and French scientists launched in a
March 2C rocket from the Jiuquan Space Center in northwestern China.
The China-France Oceanography Satellite, or CFOSat, will begin a three-year mission to survey the
world’s oceans, becoming the first satellite to simultaneously measure winds and waves. Data col-
lected by CFOSat will be distributed to weather forecast centers to help predict the development of
tropical cyclones and formulate sea state forecasts.
CFOSat also has a major role in basic scientific research, and experts will use the satellite’s measure-
ments to investigate the relationship between the oceans and the atmosphere to understand Earth’s
changing climate.
World's First Underwater Villa Opened in Maldives

The Muraka, the world’s first underwater hotel villa, opened. Located more than 16 feet below sea
level in the Maldives, the two level hotel room offers panoramic views above and under the sea.
The Muraka, which translates to “coral” in the local Dhivehi language built at the cost of $15 million.
The 600 ton lower level was built in Singapore before being transported to the Maldives on a specia-
lized ship and submerged near a reef without damage.
China's Largest Bank sets up $200 Million Fund for India

The Indian Unit of China’s largest bank the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), has set
up a $200-million fund for investing in the promising Indian micro, small and medium enterprises,
and ventures.
Embassy of India in China in partnership with Startup India Association (SIA) and venture Gurukool
organized 2nd Startup India Investment Seminar in Beijing for fostering innovation and entrepreneur-
ship among Indian youth. The ICBC is a top state-run Chinese bank which is the country’s largest
lender by market value, has opened its branch in Mumbai in 2011.

Lana Marks US President Donald Trump has nominated Lana Marks, a handbag de-
signer to be the next American ambassador to South Africa.
Sunil Arora The Centre has announced the appointment of senior-most election
commissioner Sunil Arora as the Chief Election Commissioner. A Chief
Election Commissioner or an EC can have a tenure of six years or hold of-
fice till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. The convention is to ap-
point the senior-most election commissioner as chief election commis-
sioner.
Akhilesh Ranjan Akhilesh Ranjan, recently inducted member in the Central Board of Direct
Taxes (CBDT), has been appointed as the new convener of the Task Force
on re-writing the direct tax law.
A.M. Naik A.M. Naik has been appointed as Chairman of National Skill Development
Corporation (NSDC) by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepre-
neur- ship.
Arvind Saxena The President has appointed Shri Arvind Saxena as Chairman. Union Pub-
lic Service Commission (UPSC).

Imelda Marcos Former Philippines first lady found guilty of graft. Marcos was found
guilty on seven counts of graft for using her cabinet position to maintain
Swiss bank accounts during the 1970s. She faces arrest.
Yoshitaka Sakurada Head of Japan's cyber security says he has never used a computer in his
life.
John Allen Chau An American national who tried to enter the North Sentinel Island in the
Andaman was killed due to “misplaced adventure” in the highly-restricted
area on November 22, 2018. John Allen Chau had not informed the Indian
authorities of his visit to the Sentinel Island, which is highly restricted
area and the inhabitants of the Island are hostile to outsiders.
The North Sentinel Island is one of the 29 islands in Andamans where tra-
vel rules were relaxed by Centre in June this year. Earlier foreigners had
to take special permission — the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) — before
being allowed to visit them.
Who are Sentinelese?
The Sentinelese, a negrito tribe who live on the North Sentinel Island of
the Andamans, have not faced incursions and remain hostile to outsiders.
The inhabitants are connected to the Jarawa on the basis of physical, as
well as linguistic similarities.
Genome studies indicate that the Andaman tribes could have been on the
islands even 30,000 years ago.
The Government of India issued the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Pro-
tection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 to declare the traditional
areas occupied by the tribes as reserves, and prohibited entry of all per-
sons.
Sruthi Palaniappan An Indian-American woman has been elected as the president of the po-
werful student's body of the prestigious Harvard University.
Krishna Kumari Krishna Kumari Kohli, Pakistan's first female senator from the Dalit com-
munity, has been placed at no. 48 the list of BBC's 100 inspiring and in-
fluential women from around the world released. She was elected as
Senator or member of Upper House of Parliament this year from Pakistan
People’s Party of former leader Benazir Bhutto.
Krishna belongs to the Kohli community from the remote village of Dhana
Gam in Nagarparkar area of Sindh province. Pakistan's Hindu population
has around two per cent of the country's 200 million people.

Abhijit lyer-Mitra The Odisha Assembly has accepted the apology by defence analyst Abhijit
lyer-Mitra and dropped the charges of breach of privilege against him
here.
The Assembly House Committee which probed into the matter has rec-
ommended for pardon to Mr. lyer-Mitra.
The committee also directed to the House to provide materials to Mr.
lyer-Mitra to educate him about the art, culture, history and people of
Odisha.
Mr. lyer-Mitra was arrested for his remarks against the legislators of Odi-
sha over his video post against the backdrop of the Konark temple.
Bill Gates US billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has announced to launch an ‘Our
Global Goals’ partnership with the Japan Sports Agency in an effort to
achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by
publicising them through the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The initiative has now
become an official Tokyo 2020 Olympics programme.
Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and the world’s second-richest person,
has devoted much of his time in his Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation, which aims to help reach the SDG objectives,
including ending extreme poverty and combating climate change by
2030.
Aung San Suu Kyi Amnesty International revoked the Ambassador of Conscience Award
given to Myanmar’s leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Peter Dhillon A Canadian Sikh farmer Peter Dhillon, who is the country’s biggest cran-
berry grower, has made history with his induction into the Canadian Agri-
cultural Hall of Fame. Peter Dhillon is the first Indo-Canadian to join the
league of great Canadians who have made their mark in agriculture and
agro-food business in the entire North America.
Arunima Sinha World's first woman amputee to scale Everest Arunima Sinha of India has
been honoured with Doctorate degree by University of Strathclyde at a
graduation ceremony in Glasgow for her inspirational achievements in
mountaineering. A former Indian national volleyball player, Arunima be-
came the world's first female amputee to climb the 8848-meter peak in
the year 2013. She has gone on to be the first female amputee to climb
the tallest mountains in Africa, Europe, Australia and South America.
Karthyayani The oldest candidate for the Aksharalaksham literacy programme, 96-
year-old Karthyayani Amma has topped the Kerala State Literacy Mis-
sion’s examination with 98 per cent marks.
Bhupen Hazarika The Assam government has decided to acquire and restore music maes-
tro Bhupen Hazarika’s (who shifted base to Kolkata from Assam in 1952)
three-storey house in Kolkata.
Anupam Kher Veteran actor Anupam Kher resigned as the chairman of premium film
school of the country Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
Nandita Parshad The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced the
appointment of Nandita Parshad, an Indian-origin senior executive, as the

head of its consolidated new sustainable infrastructure group within the
multilateral organisation.
Ms. Parshad in her new role will lead the bank's engagement in environ-
mental, transport and energy sectors in 38 countries across three conti-
nents with a particular focus on decarbonisation and sustainable financ-
ing.
AB Pandey Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India, has
been named as the new Finance Secretary, replacing Hasmukh Adhia.
Anju Seth Professor Anju Seth became the first woman director of the Indian Insti-
tute of Management- Calcutta (IIM-C) in the five decades of its existence.
Central Government Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has
nominated 3 Mem- nominated the following as Members of the National Commission for
bers of NCW Women (NCW).
(1) Chandramukhi Devi.
(2) Soso Shaiza
(3) Kamlesh Gautam
These members shall hold office for a period of three years or till the age
of 65 years in NCW.
Hima Das The United Nations Children’s Fund-India (UNICEF-India) has appointed
Asian Games gold-medalist sprinter Hima Das as the country's first ever
youth ambassador. The world organisation announced commemorating
the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's birthday. Hailing
from Nagaon district of Assam, Das clinched a gold medal in Women's
4x400 metre relay event at the 2018 Asian Games. She also won a silver
medal in the Women's 400m Race event. She is the first Indian athlete to
win a gold medal in a track event at the IAAF World U20 Championships.
Neomi Rao US President Donald Trump has sent the nomination of Neomi Rao, a
prominent Indian-American attorney and academic, to the Senate to re-
place Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the powerful DC Circuit Court of Ap-
peals.
If the nomination confirmed by the Senate, Ms Rao would be able to
serve a lifetime post on the DC court, largely considered the second high-
est court of the land and a training ground for future Supreme Court jus-
tices.
Robyn Denholm Electric Vehicle manufacturer- Tesla has announced on November 8, 2018
to have appointed a new chairperson-Robyn Denholm who replaced Tes-
la's long existing chairman, Elon Musk. The change in position comes af-
ter Musk was sued for his infamous tweets over Tesla's going private con-
troversy for which both Musk and Tesla had to pay a penalty of $ 20 mil-
lion.
Tesla, Inc. is an American automotive and energy company known for its
famous for all electric luxury and supercars National wide.
Neil Chatterjee US President Donald Trump has appointed Neil Chatterjee, a strong sup-
porter of subsidizing ageing Coal and Nuclear power plants, as chairman
of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Mr. Chatterjee, a

Republican from coal-producing Kentucky State of USA, previously served
as FERC's acting head in the year 2017. The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, or FERC, is an independent agency of USA that regulates the
interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity.
Satyarup Siddhanta The noted mountaineer from the state, Satyarup Siddhanta added yet
another feather in his cap by scaling Mount Giluwe — the second highest
mountain in Papua New Guinea on November 9.
Siddhanta has now become the first Indian to have successfully climbed
the volcanic mountain that has a height of 4367m.
Mohamed Nasheed The Maldives’ top court on November 26 cancelled the 13-year prison
sentence of former President Mohamed Nasheed following a review of
his controversial conviction on terrorism charges.
Nasheed, who recently returned home after years in self-exile, was
elected president in 2008, becoming the island nation’s first democrati-
cally chosen leader.

Raymond Chow 'Godfather' of Hong Kong cinema and producer behind Bruce Lee dies.
Chow, who also brought, Jackie Chan and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Tur-
tles to the big screen, co-founded the Golden Harvest studio in 1971 and
was seen as largely responsible for bringing Hong Kong films to global
audiences.
He first worked with Lee on Fists of Fury in 1971, making the actor an
overnight martial arts legend.
Mario Segale, The Mario Segale, the man after whom video game hero Super Mario was
Real Super Mario named, has passed away. He was an Italian-American property developer
from Washington. In the 1980s, he leased a warehouse to Nintendo,
which decided to name the star of its new video game after him. Super
Mario was initially called Jumpman until Nintendo gave the character its
more popular name.
Veteran 'Villupaattu' Veteran 'villupaattu' exponent, Poongani, 86, the country's oldest
Exponent, Poongani, 'villupaattu' performer, died at Kottaaram.
Dead
Ray Chavez Ray Chavez, the oldest US military survivor of the 1941 attack on Pearl
Harbour that plunged the US into World War 2, has died.
M. H. Ambareesh Noted Kannada actor, former Union Minister and Congress leader M.H.
Ambareesh passed away.
Kuldip Singh Chand- Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, war veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak war
puri passed away. He was 78. He was an Army Major during the 1971 India-
Pakistan war, had held his post through the night in the famous battle of
Longewala in Rajasthan with just 120 men against a full-fledged Pakistani
forces.
The feat of Brig Chandpuri and his men was later featured in Bollywood
blockbuster movie "Border" which was released in 1997.
Alyque Padamsee Ad guru and theatre personality Alyque Padamsee passed away. He was
90. Known as the ‘Brand Father of Indian advertising’, Mr. Padamsee
built more than 100 brands during his long stint at advertising agency
Lintas India (now MullenLowe Lintas Group).
He was the only Indian to be voted into the International Clio Hall of
Fame, the Oscars of the advertising world.

Stan Lee Legendary and iconic co-creator of iconic superheroes like Spider-Man
and The Hulk, Stan Lee has died. Born as Stanley Martin Lieber, he rose
through the ranks of a family-run business to become Marvel Comics'
expansion from a small division of a publishing house to a multimedia
corporation that dominated the comics industry.
Ananth Kumar Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anant Kumar has
passed away due to pancreatic cancer. Hailed from Karnataka, Anant
Kumar was also the youngest minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabi-
net in 1998. He was the first person who delivered his speech in Kannada
language in United Nation.
MP Awati An icon in the history of Indian Navy, former Vice Admiral Manohar Prah-
lad Awati, who commanded a naval unit of the Eastern Fleet in the 1971
India-Pakistan war, passed away. He was the commanding officer of INS
Kamorta during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, and successfully
faced enemy operations. He was awarded the Vir Chakra for his leader-
ship and gallantry.
Madan Lal Khurana Former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana died.
Pankaj Bandyopad- A founding member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Pankaj Bandyo-
hyay padhyay died at Kolkata. He formed Trinamool Congress in the year 1998
along with Mamata Banerjee.
Fahmida Riaz Noted India-born Pakistani poet and human rights activist Fahmida Riaz,
died.

Jo Johnson UK Transport minister quits over Brexit. Britain's transport minister Jo
Johnson became the latest member from Prime Minister Theresa May's
government to resign over the Brexit issue.
Johnson, the younger brother of hard-Brexiteer Boris Johnson, called for
the public to have a fresh say on Britain's membership of the European
Union (EU).
Avigdor Lieberman Israel's defence minister quits after Gaza ceasefire, government in tur-
moil. Lieberman resigned and called for early elections after a disagree-
ment over a Gaza ceasefire deal.

CSE Chosen for Indira Delhi-based environment think tank Centre for Science and Environment
Gandhi Prize for Peace, (CSE) was in November 2018 chosen for the Indira Gandhi Prize for
Disarmament and De- Peace, Disarmament and Development, 2018 for advocating measures to
velopment, 2018 combat environmental deterioration and its successful interventions in
public policy. The CSE will be honoured with the award at a ceremony
next year. The last year's prize was given to former Prime Minister Man-
mohan Singh.
Jamnalal Bajaj Award - Gandhians and noted social workers—Dhoom Singh Negi, Prasanna
2018 Bhandari, Claybome Carson, Rupal Desai and Rajendra Desai were felici-
tated with the Jamnalal Bajaj Awards for 2018 for their relentless work
and contribution in the field of humanitarian and social work at the 41st
annual Jamnalal Bajaj award ceremony at Colaba in Mumbai. The win-
ners were each conferred a citation, a trophy and a cheque of Rs. 10 lakh
by Vice-President of India Mr. M Venkaih Naidu.
Dhoom Singh Negi, a social activist from Uttarakhand got the honour for
his outstanding contributions in field of constructive work. He has been
relentlessly planting trees to keep his country greener.
Prasanna Bhandari, convener of Shri Kami Nagar Vikas Samiti was ho-
noured with the award for her work in development and welfare of
women and children.
Clayborne Carson, founding director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Re-
search and Education Institute was decorated with the Jamnalal Bajaj
International Award for promoting Gandhian values abroad.
Rupal and Rajendra Desai got the honour for their their efforts of spread-
ing awareness about sustainable housing in the rural areas.
Azim Premji Gets Top Business tycoon and philanthropist Azim Premji was honoured with the
French Civilian Honour top French civilian honour 'Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of
the Legion of Honour) in Bengaluru on November 28, 2018. Alexandre
Ziegler, the French Ambassador to India decorated Mr. Premji, who is the
chairman of Bengaluru-based IT major Wipro, with the award for his out-
standing contribution to developing the information technology industry
in India, his economic outreach in France, and his laudable contribution
to society as a philanthropist through the Azim Premji Foundation and

Azim Premji University.
The Legion d'Honneur (Legion of Honour), instituted in 1802 by Napo-
lean. Bonaparte, is the highest civilian award given by the French Repub-
lic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the
recipients.
Some of the past Indian recipients of the prestigious award include re-
nowned scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee CNR Rao, Tamil actor late
Sivaji Ganesan, actor Kamal Haasan, Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee
and superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
India Received Presti- United Nation Environment has awarded Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
gious UN Environment (WCCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govern-
Award ment of India with Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018 for ex-
cellent work done by the Bureau in combating trans-boundary environ-
mental crime.
The WCCB has been conferred this award in Innovation category. WCCB
has adopted innovative enforcement techniques that have dramatically
increased enforcement of trans-boundary environmental crimes in India.
The Asia Environment Enforcement Awards publicly recognize and cele-
brate excellence in enforcement by government officials and institu-
tions/teams combating transboundary environmental crime in Asia.
Garima Arora First In- Mumbai born Chef Garima Arora who owns an Indo-Thai restaurant in
dian Woman to Win a Bangkok has become the first Indian women to win a Michelin Star, a
Michelin Star system of recognition for best served food across the world on Novem-
ber 14, 2018. The prestigious Michelin Guide that was started in the
1900s is a regulatory authority which allows customers to know which
restaurants are worth dining. Chef Garima Arora's GAA is also the first
and only restaurant in Bangkok operated by an Indian woman.
Tagore Award for Cul- The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2014, 2015 & 2016
tural Harmony An- is being conferred on the eminent Guru of Manipuri dance Rajkumar
nounced Singhajit Singh; Chhayanaut (a cultural organization of Bangladesh) and
on one of India’s greatest sculptors, Ram Vanji Sutar, respectively. The
Jury under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and com-
prising of the Chief Justice of India, Justice Ranjan Gogoi, N. Gopalaswami
and Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe unanimously decided winners on October
25, 2018.
The annual Tagore Award was instituted by the Government of India dur-
ing the commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabin-
dranath Tagore in 2011. The award carries an amount of Rs 1 crore, a
citation, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional handicraft/ han-
dloom item. The first Tagore Award was conferred on Pt. Ravi Shankar;
the Indian Sitar Maestro in 2012 and second was conferred on Zubin
Mehta in 2013.
Kiran Kumar Received AS Kiran Kumar, former Chairman of ISRO received the prestigious Inter-
Von Karman Wings national von Karman Wings Award 2018 on November 8, 2018 at Pasa-
Award dena, California, USA. This award was presented by the Aerospace His-

torical Society and Graduate Aerospace Laboratories at the California
Institute of Technology' at California Institute of Technology. This award
is presented in recognition of his contribution to the development of In-
dia’s economy through aerospace technology and telecommunication.
Super 30 Founder Mathematician and Super 30 founder Anand Kumar awarded with ‘Glob-
Anand Kumar al Education Award’ on November 8, 2018 for his “pioneering” contribu-
Awarded Global Prize tions to the field of education and changing the lives of many talented
students.
Anand is a well known mathematician whose Super 30 is hailed for facili-
tating students from poor background crack IIT entrance exams by pro-
viding free food, lodging and teaching. The ‘Global Education Award’ was
instituted by Malabar Group, a leading Indian business conglomerate,
which presents award in the area of research and education worldwide.
Pather Panchali Placed Satyajit Ray’s epic masterpiece “Pather Panchali” has been included by
in BBC 100 Best Films BBC’s 100 Best Foreign Language Films on November 1, 2018, the only
of the World film from India to feature in the list. Ray’s film, released in 1955 and the
first in his “Apu Trilogy”, was placed at number 15 in the list, which has
been topped by Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese film “Seven Samurai”.
India Won CAPAM India has won the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration
Award 2018 and Management (CAPAM) Award, 2018. The awards were announced at
the Annual General Members Meet held at Georgetown, Guyana.
The initiative entitled "Unnayan Banka"- Reinventing Education Using
Technology of Banka District, State of Bihar has been awarded under the
Category ‘Innovation Incubation’.
Another initiative entitled ‘Unified Agriculture Markets’ of Co-operation
Department of Government of Karnataka has also been selected under
the Category ‘Innovation in Public Service Management’. This initiative
has also been awarded the overall Gold Award for CAPAM Awards, 2018.
Anvar Sadath Became K Anvar Sadath of Kerala Infrastructure and Technology For Education
First Indian to get AECT (KITE) has become the first Indian to receive AECT's International Contri-
Award butions Award. Mr. Sadath was instrumental in implementing a “Hitech
School” project aimed at converting 45,000 classrooms of classes 8 to 12
into high-tech, empowering all teachers to handle the classes using the
portal Samagra. The AECT (Association for Instructional Design and Edu-
cational Technology) is the premium award given each year to individual
for contribution and development of a wide range of instructional and
educational technology.
Golden Peacock at IFFI Donbass’ directed by Sergei Loznitsa has won the coveted Golden Pea-
2018 cock Award at the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which
concluded in Goa on November 28, 2018.
The Golden Peacock Award carries a cash prize of Rs 4 million (Rs 40
lakhs) to be shared equally between the Producer and the Director, Tro-
phy and the citation.
Donbass is the official submission of Ukraine for the ‘Best Foreign Lan-
guage Film’ category at the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.
It was selected as the opening film in the Un Certain Regard section at
the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. At Cannes, Sergei Loznitsa won the ‘Un
Certain Regard’ Award for Best Director.
Lijo Jose Pellissery conferred Best Director Award for Ee.Ma.Yau
The Best Actor (Male) Award has gone to Chemban Vinod for his por-
trayal in Ee.Ma.Yau of ‘Eeshi’, a son who tries to arrange a worthy funer-
al for his father but is met with unpredictable obstacles and reactions
from different quarters.
Anastasiia Pustovit gets Best Actor (Female) Award
The Best Actor (Female) Award has gone to Anastasiia Pustovit for her
portrayal of a ‘Larysa’, a teenage girl in the Ukrainian film ‘When the
Trees Fall’.
Both Best Actor (Male) and Best Actor (Female) are honoured with the
Silver Peacock Trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1 million (Rs 10 lakhs) each.
Special Jury Award for Milko La- zarov’s Aga
Alberto Monteras II receives ‘Best Debut Feature Film of a Director’ for
Respeto
Salim Khan, the celebrated actor, story-screenplay-dialogue writer of
Hindi films was honoured with the IFFI 2018 Special Award for his Life-
time Contribution to Cinema.
Hridaynath Award for National Award winning music director Mohammed Zahur Khayyam
Lifetime Achievement Hashmi, famous as ‘Khayyam’, has been named for this year's Hridaynath
Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Instituted by the Hridayesh Arts, the award carries a cash prize of Rs
100,000 and a memento.
1st World Agriculture Renowned agricultural scientist and the chief architect of the green revo-
Prize lution in India, MS Swaminathan, was awarded the first World Agricul-
ture Prize for his contributions to Indian agriculture by Vice-President
Venkaiah Naidu on October 26.
It carries prize money of $ 1,00,000 (Rs. 73,45,500), and is instituted by
the nongovernmental Indian Council of Food and Agriculture.

Bajrang Punia The United World Wrestling (UWW) declared Bajrang Punia as the world
number one freestyle wrestler in the 65 kg weight category with 96 points.
Bajrang Punia, who clinched the silver medal in the World Championships in
Budapest in October this year rose to the top spot after gaming a massive 30-
point lead over Alejandro Enrique Valdes Tobier of Cuba.
Rohit Sharma India’s sensational batsman Rohit Sharma achieved twin milestones, first by
surpassing Virat Kohli to become India’s highest run-scorer in T20 Internation-
als, followed by the most number of centuries (4) in the shortest format. Rohit
hit an unbeaten 111 runs against West Indies at Lucknow to complete his
fourth ton in T20 Internationals. He now has 2203 runs on the second spot in
the all-time list led by New Zealander Martin Guptill (2271).
Rahul Dravid Former India captain Rahul Dravid officially inducted into the International
Cricket Council's (ICC) Hall of Fame at Thiruvananthapuram. The ICC an-
nounced July this year Dravid and Australian legend Ricky Ponting's induction
into the Hall of Fame. Dravid became only the fifth player from India after Bi-
shan Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Anil Kumble to be named on
the elite list. Ponting is the 25th from Australia to receive the honour.
Mary Kom Five-time world champion Mary Kom has been named as the brand ambassa-
dor of the 10th edition of the AIBA-Women World Championship. The AIBA
Women's World Boxing Championships is the biennial amateur boxing compe-
titions organised by the International Boxing Association (AIBA), along with
the Olympic boxing programme, is the highest level of competition for the
sport.
Virat Kohli With his score 107 against the West Indies in the third of five ODIs in Pune
Virat Kohli became the 10th man overall and first Indian to score three centu-
ries in a row in the format. Sri Lankan Player Kumar Sangakkara is the only
player who has smashed four consecutive hundreds in ODI formats.

Formula One
Brazilian Grand Prix 2018
Five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Brazilian Grand Prix and also helped his Mercedes
team to take the Formula One constructors’ title for the fifth straight year. The win was Hamilton's
10th of the season and 72nd of his career.
Badminton
Kento Momota won China Open 2018
World champion Kento Momota of Japan won badminton's Fuzhou China Open to add another title
to his already spectacular season. Momota defeated the fourth seed Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan. Mo-
mota has been won various titles this year, winning the World Championships, the Asia Champion-
ships prior to this title.

Faizabad Renamed Faizabad was renamed as Ayodhya after the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet led by Chief
As Ayodhya in Ut- Minister Yogi Adityanath took the decision to change Faizabad's name to
tar Pradesh Ayodhya in November, 2018. The Uttar Pradesh government recently renamed
Allahabad as Prayagraj.
Noida and Greater The United Nations selected Noida and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh to par-
Noida ticipate in its Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative. The twin cities in Gau-
tam Buddh Nagar district have been chosen in the 'University City' category
out of 5 categories in the UN Global Sustainable Cities 2025 initiative.
Bhubaneswar In a bid to reduce traffic congestion and pollution and improve air quality in
Bhubaneswar, the Odisha government on November 26, 2018 launched a Pub-
lic Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system in the city. This PBS system in Bhubaneswar
has been christened as 'Mo Cycle' system.
Pittsburg (USA) A deadly shooting massacre in Tree of Life synagogue during Shabbat services
killed at least 11 termed as the deadliest attack on Jews in the history of the
United States. This was the single most lethal and violent attack on the Jewish
community which was strongly condemned by Political, religious and civic
leaders and vowed to support the Jewish community. Synagogue is a temple
like building in which Jewish people worship and study their religion.

BOOKS AUTHORS
The Contenders: Who will Lead India Tomorrow By Priya Sahgal, Simon and Schuster
The Twice-Born; Life and Death on the Ganges By Aatish Taseer, Harper Collins
Smart: The Digital Century By Frederic Martel, Harper Collins
More Bodies Will Fall By Ankush Saipia, Penguin
All You Need to Know About Heart By Dr. S. S. Bansal
India, Empire and First World War Culture By Santanu Das, Cambridge University Press
Free Trade & Prosperity: How Openness Helps By Arvind Panagariya, Oxford University Press
Developing Countries Grow Richer and Combat
Poverty
The Re-origin of Species By Torill Kornfeldt
Kama: The Riddle of Desire By Gurcharan Das, Penguin
A Naga Odyssey : My Long Way Home By Visier Meyasetsu SAnyu with Richard
Broome, Speaking Tiger
The Town That Laughed By Manu Bhattathiri, Aleph

2 November International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
5 November National Ayurveda Day: Theme 2018: Ayurveda for Public health
5 November World Tsunami Awareness Day
7 November National Cancer Awareness Day
8 November International Day of Radiology or World Radiography Day; Theme
2018: Cardiac Imaging
10 November World Science Day for Peace and Development; Theme 2018; Science,
a Human Right
11 November National Education Day: Observed in India to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister
of independent India
12 November World Pneumonia Day; Theme 2018: Stop Pneumonia: Invest in Child
Health
13-19 November 2018 World Antibiotic Awareness Week; Theme 2018; Antibiotics: handle
with care
14 November Children’s Day
14 November World Diabetes Day; Theme 2018: The Family and Diabetes
16 November International Day for Tolerance; The World Tolerance Summit (WTS)
2018 was inaugurated on November 16 in Dubai, UAE. The theme of
the summit was ‘Prospering from Pluralism: Embracing Diversity
through Innovation and Collaboration
18 November Naturopathy Day; The AYUSH Ministry celebrated its first Naturopathy
Day across the country on 18 November.
18 November World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims Commemorated
on 3rd Sunday of November. Theme 2018: Roads have Stories
19 November World Toilet Day; Theme 2018: When nature calls, we have to listen
and act
20 November Universal Children’s Day; Theme 2018: Children are taking over and
turning the world sector

21 November World Fisheries Day; Theme 2018: Labour rights are human rights:
working together to ensure the rights of fishers-fighting trafficking and
forced labour in the fishing sector
25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women;
Theme 2018: Orange The World: #HearMeToo
26 November Constitution Day/Samvidhan Divas

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© Law Prep Tutorial 1 CLAT Express – January 2019

© Law Prep Tutorial 2 CLAT Express – January 2019

© Law Prep Tutorial 3 CLAT Express – January 2019

© Law Prep Tutorial 4 CLAT Express – January 2019

Indian Space Tech Firm Wins Canada’s Start-up Mentorship

ISRO’s Heaviest Rocket Places GSAT-29 in Orbit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Singapore Visit; Attends ASEAN-India and

India Votes Against Draft Resolution on Death Penalty at UN Assembly

Kartarpur Corridor Project Cleared by Union Cabinet

Centre Approved Renaming of 25 Places in Past One Year

© Law Prep Tutorial 6 CLAT Express – January 2019

Statue of Unity Dedicated to the Nation

Indian Railways' First Aerodynamic Engine Unveiled

India's First Elephant Hospital Opened in Churmura village Mathura

Supreme Court Now Opened for General Public

India's First Robotic Dinosaurs Gallery Inaugurated

Facebook Launched Literacy Library in 6 Indian Language

Apex Court Banned 15 Years Old Vehicles in NCR

Only BS VI Vehicles from 2020

Andhra Pradesh Gets a State Emblem

Andhra to Get New HC Next Year

© Law Prep Tutorial 8 CLAT Express – January 2019

Pakistan Premier Imran Khan Visits China

Entire Island Vanishes in Japan, Govt. Begins ‘Search Op’

New Caledonia to Stay with France

© Law Prep Tutorial 9 CLAT Express – January 2019

The Issue of New American Sanctions on Iran: Sanctions on Iran Unset-

The Two Koreas Disarm 22 Guard Posts on Border

China Shows off J-20 Jet’s Missiles

APEC Summit 2018

Two Koreas Connect DMZ Road Across Border

NASA’s Insight Lands on Mars

Maldives to Rejoin Commonwealth Group

Saudi Arabia Launched Its First Nuclear Plant

Sculpture Unveiled in UK to Honour Indian Soldiers

© Law Prep Tutorial 11 CLAT Express – January 2019

Leaning Tower of Pisa Straightened by 4 cm

Canada Apologized for Turning Away Jewish Refugees

Singapore Ranked First In Global Passport Index 2018

Nissan Chief Carlos Ghosn Arrested For Corruption Charges

'Toxic' is Oxford 2018 Word of the Year

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China-France 'Oceanography Satellite' Launched

World's First Underwater Villa Opened in Maldives

China's Largest Bank sets up $200 Million Fund for India

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