VINTAGE

IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF NOVEMBER 5^th, 2018

                       IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS OF NOVEMBER 5^th , 2018

1.      (5th November 2018) is the World Tsunami Awareness Day.

a.       Aim of this Day : to spread awareness among people across the world about Tsunami. 

b.       The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had constituted the day by adopting a resolution in December 2015. 

2.      Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu arrived in Lilongwe (Capital of Malawi), today. 

a.       During this visit, he will address the Indian community in Malawi and hold bilateral talks of mutual benefit.

b.       Note : Mr Naidu reached Malawi on the final leg of his 6 day 3 nations visit of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

3.      The 1st passenger train to run on broad gauge between India and Nepal is likely to run from December this year. 

a.       The train will run from Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Dhanusa district in Janakpur Zone of south-eastern Nepal. 

4.      China has backed Pakistan's bid for membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), praising its "anti-nuclear proliferation record". 

a.       The announcement came in a joint statement made by the two countries during Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's first official visit to China. 

b.       Important Note : Earlier, China has prevented India from joining the NSG, which aims to curb nuclear arms proliferation.

5.      Britain today allowed foreign nationals from Commonwealth nations to join the Armed Forces despite them having never lived in the country. 

a.       Britain currently requires the recruits joining the armed services from the Commonwealth nations to have lived in the country for five years. 

6.      The 1st Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health was recently held at WHO Headquarters in Geneva. 

a.       The conference was held in response to a resolution of the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly (WHA68.8) in 2015, in which ministers of health asked for a major scaling-up of the response by health and other sectors to prevent air pollution diseases, exposure to air pollution and their costs to society. 

b.       At the conclusion of the conference, participants agreed an aspirational goal of reducing the number of deaths from air pollution by two thirds by 2030.

7.      Odisha Government launched Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Policy 2018. 

a.       The policy is aimed to carry forward process of industrialization through promotion of aerospace and defence manufacturing enterprises, generate employment opportunities and promote value addition.

8.      Delhi's Signature Bridge, built over the Yamuna river, was inaugurated today by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, 14 years after it was announced in 2004.

a.       It'll reduce the travel time between north and northeast Delhi. 

b.       Apart from this, with features like a 154-metre high observation deck and selfie spots, the bridge will also serve as a tourist spot.

9.      India's first nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant has completed its first deterrence patrol.

a.       The submarine completes India's nuclear triad by adding sea-based strike capability to land and air-based delivery platforms. 

10. The Maharashtra government has approved the hyperloop project between Pune and Mumbai as a public infrastructure project.

a.       This project aims to cut the travel time between the two destinations to 25 minutes. 

11. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) launches new Offshore patrol vessel (OPV) ICGS Varaha at L&T Kattupalli shipyard near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 

a.       It is 4th in the series of 98 M OPVs designed and built indigenously by Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

12. The Central Information Commission (CIC) issued a show-cause notice to RBI Governor Urjit Patel for "dishonouring" Supreme Court judgement on disclosure of the wilful defaulters’ list. 

a.       Patel denied information on the list that names wilful defaulters who took loans of ₹50 crore and above.

13. British bank HSBC has executed India's first overseas financial transaction using blockchain by making a payment for Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries in an export deal involving an American client. 

a.       The blockchain-enabled transaction was for a shipment from Reliance Industries to US-based Tricon Energy. 

b.       Note : Blockchain refers to a distributed database that maintains a continuously-growing list of ordered records called blocks.

14. Private sector lender RBL Bank today appointed Vikas Muttoo as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its subsidiary Swadhaar Finserve. 

a.       Vikas Muttoo earlier worked as the Chief Business Officer of Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited. 

15. Dinkar Asthana appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Lao People's Democratic Republic.

a.       He is presently serving as the Additional Secretary in the Ministry.

16. India and Malawi have signed 3 MoUs. They are :

a.       Extradition Treaty

b.       Cooperation in the field of Atomic Energy for peaceful purposes 

c.       VISA Waiver for Diplomatic and Official Passports. 

d.       Note : India will also extend a new Line of credit of 215 million US dollars to Malawi for 18 water projects. 

17. Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan is going to play for Delhi Daredevils in the 2019 Indian Premier League after being traded by SunRisers Hyderabad. 

a.       The 32-year-old, who had joined SunRisers Hyderabad in 2013, is returning to the Delhi-based franchise after 11 years.