Important Current Affairs of November 26, 2015

Important Current Affairs of November 26, 2015

• Beginning 25 November 2015, non-machine readable (handwritten) passports have been invalidated as per guidelines issued by the ICAO earlier. It is worth mentioning that there is no data available of people who hold these kinds of passports. This means that only machine-readable passports (MRPs) will be accepted and visas will be issued against such passports only.
  
  
•  26.8% increase in non-performing assets (NPAs) was reported over the 12-month period ending September 2015 by 37 banks led by prominent public sector banks, as disclosed by credit rating CARE on 24 November 2015.
  
• Income tax returns e-filing website ClearTax has announced the launching of mobile application ’TaxCloud’ to make the process of e-filing of returns more easier.
  
• India's 3rd largest telecom services provider, Idea Cellular, will buy spectrum in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh (West) from Videocon Telecommunications for Rs 3,310 crore ($499 million) to boost its high-speed data services.
• Note : This is  India’s first telecom spectrum trading transaction.
  
• Food ordering portal Foodpanda has tied up with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), Indian Railways’ catering, tourism and online ticketing platform, for order and delivery of food to the passengers.
• Foodpanda CEO : Saurabh Kochhar
• Railway Minister : Suresh Prabhu
  
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was observed on 25th November.
• Aim : to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence
• Theme of the year 2015 : Prevention
  
• Indian Railways is presently working on a proposal to create a huge Rs. 1.1 lakh crore fund by the name Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) that will be used to implement its drive to upgrade the creaking rail infrastructure.
  
• The Maharashtra government has announced the launching of Gopinath Munde Farmers Accident Insurance Scheme 2015-16.
  
• Former long jump world champion Anju Bobby George, was appointed as the chairperson of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). 
• She will be replacing Anurag Thakur, and will be assuming the charge in the first week of December 2015.
  
• With the reduction of the deadline by 3 years, the new deadline of rural connectivity through all- weather roads under PMGSY is year 2019. The government has also decided to increase the annual allocation of the Central release for PMGSY( Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna) works during year 2015-16 by Rs 5,000 crore and with this the total Central allocation to states would now be Rs 15,100 crore.
• It was Rs. 9960 crore during 2014-15, Rs 5196 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 4313 crore in 2012-13.
  
• Mumbai headquartered IDBI Bank has become thefirst commercial state-owned bank to raise $350 million via selling green bonds, where proceeds are used for clean energy projects.
• Bonds were priced at 4.26% (fixed rate) after adding a mark-up or spread of 255 basis points on five-year US Treasury now at 71%. But, the bank has converted those securities into floating rate, and they are offering 3.22%
• Bond will be of five-year maturity. This is a part of the bank’s medium-term-note programme, set at $5 billion over next few years.