Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019
Finance and Banking
Muthoot Finance to buy IDBI MF Muthoot Finance has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire IDBI Asset Management Limited and IDBI MF Trustee Company Limited. • The transaction, which is expected to completed by February 2020, would pave the way for Muthoot Finance’s entry into the mutual fund segment. The transaction is subject to approval from regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
Non-bank lender Aditya Birla Finance became the first company to list its commercial papers borrowing of Rs 100 crore on the bourses • The Kumarmangalam Birla-led company listed its CPs on NSE with a value date of November 28, 2019 and maturity date on February 7, 2020 on BSE and NSE, both the bourses. • ABFL is a diversified non-banking finance company (NBFC) with a long-term credit rating of AAA (Stable) from both ICRA as well as India Ratings.
HR Khan Appointed as chairman of MFI panel • Former deputy governor of RBI, HR Khan has been appointed as the first chairman of the steering committee of the Code for Responsible Lending (CRL) in micro-credit. • The CRL is a self-regulatory step for the micro-credit industry making diverse entities like banks, NBFC-MFIs and NBFCs adhere to standards of customer protection. • CRL was launched in September by MFIN and Sa-Dhan, an RBI-recognised association of MFIs, along with Finance Industry Development Council, an association of NBFCs.
Three UP regional rural banks amalgamated to form Baroda UP Bank • According to a notification issued by the finance ministry, Government of India, 3 Uttar Pradesh (UP) regional rural banks(RRB) – Baroda Uttar Pradesh Grameen Bank, Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank and Purvanchal Bank will be amalgamated into a single regional rural bank on April 1, 2020 which will be called as “Baroda UP Bank” • Bank of Baroda (BoB) will sponsor new Baroda UP Bank, which will have the headquarters in Gorakhpur. • Bank of Baroda is sponsor of Baroda Uttar Pradesh Grameen Bank, Union Bank of India is sponsor of Kashi Gomti Samyut Gramin Bank while State Bank of India is sponsor of Purvanchal Bank. About RRBs RRBs came into existence on Gandhi Jayanti in 1975 with the formation of a Prathama Grameen Bank. The rural banks had the legislative backing of the RRB Act 1976. These banks were set up on the basis of the recommendations of the Narasimham Working Group.
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019
SEBI bans Karvy Broking for client defaults of ₹ 2,000 crore Karvy Stock Broking (KSBL) has been banned by SEBI for client defaults of around ₹ 2,000 crore making it one of India’s biggest cases of default by an equity broker. • A recent inspection by the National Stock Exchange revealed that KSBL transferred a net amount ₹ 1,096 crore to its group company, Karvy Realty, between April 2016 and October 2019. • KSBL sold pledged client shares via off-market transfer as its own in five out of nine client accounts amounting to ₹ 228.07 crore in 2019 and transferred stocks worth ₹ 27.8 crore from 156 clients who have not executed a single trade with them.
Microfinance firm Credit Access grameen will acquire Madura micro finance for Rs 876 crore • As part of the two-step transaction, CreditAccess Grameen Limited –CAGL (formerly known as Grameen Koota Financial Services Pvt. Ltd) has decided to acquire 100 % stake in Madura Micro Finance Limited (MMFL), a leading NBFC-MFI (Non Banking Finacial Company-Micro Finance Institution) for Rs 876 crore. (subject to 2 stage approval from RBI and SEBI) • In this plan, CAGL will acquire up to 76.2% stake for Rs 666.4 crore in MMFL from its current shareholders for all-cash deal in 1st stage & in the second stage, MMFL will be merged into CAGL through a scheme of arrangement, in which Madura’s remaining shareholders will get shares of CAGL.
PSBs recovers Rs 1,996.46 crore from account holders in FY -19 for not maintaining minimum balance • Minister of state (MoS) for finance Anurag Singh Thakur informed that Public sector banks (PSBs) received Rs 1,996.46 crore as penalty for not keeping minimum monthly balance in the account in 2018-19. • In the financial year 2017-18 (or 2017), 18 state-owned banks received Rs 3,368.42 crore as minimum balance penalty. At the same time, in the financial year 2016-17 (or 2016) , the public banks recovered Rs 790.22 crore from the account holders. • One of the reasons for the decline in the minimum deposit amount penalty by PSBs is the penalty reduced by State Bank of India from October 1, 2017 for non-maintenance of minimum deposit in savings account. • Banks do not charge any penalty for not having a minimum monthly balance in Basic Savings Bank Accounts (BSBD). These include open accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). • According to RBI, as of March 2019, there were 57.3 crore BSBD accounts in the country, of which 35.27 crore were Jan Dhan accounts. About BSBD accounts • The BSBD account means an account that does not require customers to maintain a minimum or average monthly balance. 2 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • If a customer already has a savings account in that bank, he must have to close that savings account within 30 days from the opening of BSBD account. • Only four cash withdrawal is permitted either from bank branch or from ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) or together in a month.
U GRO Capital signed loan co-origination partnership with SBI Capital market company New Quest’s U GRO Capital has entered into a Loan co-origination partnership with the State Bank of India in order to provide widened credit outreach and faster disbursal. Through U GRO Capital’s platform “GRO-Xstream”, in-principle loan approval will be done within 60 minutes. Co origination: co-origination means selling of loan of a bank/any entity through other banks/entity. In short co-origination is a form of loan participation where two or more lenders lend money to a borrower. About U GRO capital U GRO Capital is a BSE listed technology-enabled small business lending platform Formerly known as- Chokhani securities Founder- Mr. Shachindra Nath Chief Executive Officer - Abhijit Ghosh Launch- December 2017
ALL, ICICI Bank ink MoU for vehicle financing Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland Ltd. (ALL) has entered into a two-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ICICI Bank to offer customised financial solutions to customers across India with a focus on semi-urban and rural geographies.
India First life insurance join hands with Spice money for ‘Insurance Khata’ product • It is a micro-insurance plan aims at the informal sector & agricultural labourers with seasonal incomes. • Under this partnership, Spice Money will work for IndiaFirst Life &market of ‘insurance khata’ products to its customers base of over three lakh in semi-urban and rural India. • The new insurance product will allow a customer to create and increase protection cover while also having certain amount of return of premium. It enables consumers to actually putting the money when they have it rather than committing to premium payments when they don’t have committed flow of income • Through this tie-up, Spice Money will deepen the penetration of its product offers and enable more customers to access their risk solutions. About IndiaFirst Life Insurance MD & CEO -Ms.R.M.Vishakha Founded -2009 3 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 Headquarters -Mumbai, Maharashtra About Spice Money Headquarters– Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Chairman -Dilip Modi
P.S Rajan was appointed as the CEO of Kerala Bank by the Government of India in Thiruvananthapuram About Kerala Bank: • Kerala Bank has been formed by merging of 13 district co-operative banks receiving its final nod for the formation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). • With this, Kerala Bank will be the largest banking network in the state.
ADB approves 2nd tranche of $150 mn loans for West Bengal to boost capital investment, and infrastructure in the state • Asian Development Bank (ADB), an international development finance institution has approved 2nd tranche of policy based programme loan $150 million (about Rs 1,065 crore) for West Bengal to boost capital investment and infrastructure in the state. • In September 2017, The board of ADB approved a loan of $300 million (about Rs 2,130 crore) to continue a comprehensive series of fiscal reforms in West Bengal to revive financial health of public sector enterprises, introduction of medium-term expenditure frameworks in two departments, and implementation of an integrated tax monitoring system, among others. About ADB: Motto -Fighting Poverty in Asia and the Pacific Formation– 19 December 1966 Headquarters – Manila, Philippines Membership– 68 countries
SBI Card and Vistara in tie-up for premium co-branded credit card • SBI Card, the country’s second largest credit card issuer, and Vistara, a full service premium credit card for travel savvy Indians launched two variants, Club Vistara SBI Card Prime and Club Vistara SBI Card. • The new card has been designed to offer a rewarding travel experience to cardholders with benefits on domestic and international travel spends.
NPCI, THub unveil fintech accelerator • Tech startup incubator THub and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) have launched a fintech accelerator programme. • THub will help NPCI tap innovative solutions from fintech startups to improve the services offered by its payments platform. The maiden edition is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). 4 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019
Housing ministry launched Credit-linked Subsidy Services Awas Portal “CLAP” • Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (MoS- Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the Credit-linked Subsidy Services(CLSS) portal named “CLAP” (CLSS Awas Portal). The link to the portal is https://pmayuclap.gov.in/ • The aim of the portal was to address the grievance of the beneficiaries in an organised phase or manner. All stakeholders such as MoHUA, Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs), Primary Lending Institutions (PLIs) and Beneficiaries will be integrated in this portal. • A separate Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the MoHUA and state govt of 6 states for light house projects(LHP) under Global Housing Technology Challenge-India i.e., GHTC-India. The 6 states are Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh
RIL 1st Indian company to cross Rs 10-lakh-crore market cap • Oil to telecom major Reliance Industries (RIL) surpassed the Rs 10-lakh-crore in market capitalisation, becoming the first Indian company to do so. • Reliance is followed by TCS as the second most valued firm. HDFC Bank, Hindustan Uniliver and HDFC were the others. • The company had also announced selling 20 per cent stake in its refining and petrochemical business to Saudi Aramco.
Mukesh Ambani became the 9th richest person in the world according to the Real time Billionaires list 2019 released by Forbes. • Ambani reached the 9th position after Reliance Industries Limited reached a Market Capital (m-cap) of Rs.10 lakh crore and net worth of 60.5 billion Dollars. • Jeff Bezos owner of Amazon, Bernard Arnault and family, CEO(LVMH) and Bill Gates, co- founder and former head of Microsoft take the top three places with a net worth of 113, 107.9 and 107.4 billion Dollars respectively. • Ambani is in advance to both the Google Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Larry Page and Sergey Brin had a net worth of 59.6 and 57.5 billion Dollars and hold the 10th and 11th place of The World’s Richest Person respectively.
National News
6 plastic parks approved for implementation: Sadananda Gowda • In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda informed that the central government has approved setting up of six plastic parks in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu with 50% funding by centre & another 50% funded by State Government beneficiary industries and by a loan from financial institutions. 5 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • The plastic park at Tamot Village in Madhya Pradesh is already working. • The central government has set a target to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022.For which, a three-phase campaign Swachhta Hi Sewa was launched from September 11, 2019 to October 27,2019 to collect and safe disposal of littered plastic. • The 6 parks will have modern age infrastructure and enabling common facilities through cluster development approach to consolidate and synergize the capacities of the domestic downstream plastic processing industry.
Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose launches logo of Lokpal • On November 26, 2019 The Chairman of Lokpal, Shri Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose launched the lokpal’s logo in New Delhi. • On this day, the motto of the lokpal “Ma Gridhah Kasyasvidhanam (Do not be greedy for anyone’s wealth)” was also adopted. • Logo selection process was conducted in 3 phases and finally the logo design of Shri Prashant Mishra, from Uttar Pradesh (UP) was selected. • The logo was designed based on the literal meaning of lokpal where Lok means people and Pal means caretaker, which in full creates the meaning caretaker of people.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched Accelerator Lab in India to work on tackling pollution • The laboratory will be housed in the UNDP India office in New Delhi and has partnered with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of the Indian govt. • The laboratory will also address on issues like sustainable water management and client- resilient livelihoods. It also aims to make faster progress in meeting the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN by 2030. • After launching the accelerator lab, the UNDP India organised a #DateForDevelopment matchmaking platform aimed at connecting local innovators with development practitioners. • The Accelerator Lab is an innovative initiative by the UNDP, Germany and Qatar, to find 21st century solutions to today’s complex new challenges. The labs are located in various countries like Iraq, Jordan, Argentina, Colombia, Serbia, Nepal, Mexico and Vietnam.
National University of Singapore-1st in QS World University Rankings Asia 2020; IIT Bombay topped among Indian Institutes • It is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), ranking the best universities of 2020 in the Asian region. Among the Indian Universities, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) was ranked as the top performer ranking 34th in the list. • The list was topped by National University of Singapore(NUS), Singapore for the second consecutive year.
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • The institutions that followed NUS were Nanyang Technological University(NTU) in Singapore and University of Hong Kong(HKU) in Hong Kong in the second and third place respectively. • 96 Indian universities including 20 brand new entries were ranked in the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2020. IITB was followed by IIT Delhi(IIT-D) in the 43rd rank and IIT Madras(IIT-M) in the 50th rank. India doesn’t have any universities in the top 30 list.
Food processing ministry’s IMAC cleared Rs 271 crores for CEFPPC scheme • The Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee(IMAC) under food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s chairmanship, has approved Rs 271 crores worth project under Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities(CEFPPC) scheme. • Beside this approval, the food processing ministry has also implemented Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) with an outlay of Rs 6,000 crores.
Minister of State for Home Affairs, inaugurated the 1st International Conference on “Landslides Risk Reduction and Resilience” in New Delhi • The Conference called for developing technology to anticipate disasters like landslides and develop infrastructure to quickly respond to minimise the damage. • The landslides have attracted global attention as they may cause huge havoc on communities, livestock, environment leading to huge loss of lives. • This conference will go a long way in finding long term solutions to natural disasters.
2019 CRY report • An analysis by Non-govt Organisation(NGO) Child Relief and You (CRY), released its report on crimes against children in India. • As per the report, crimes against children rose by 20% which is higher than the overall number of crimes that rose by 3.6%. Among the Indian states, Uttar Pradesh(UP) and Madhya Pradesh(MP) topped the list for overall crimes in India. • The CRY analysis was based on data of National Crime Records Bureau(NCRB) for 2016-2017, which was released after a gap of 2 years on October 21, 2019. • UP & MP crime cases: UP and MP together stood at 14.8% of with 19,000 cases. • Jharkhand had the highest increase in crimes against children at 73.9%. • The most prevalent crime cases against children include kidnapping and abduction. It accounted for 42% of total 1,29,032 crime cases reported. Other major crimes include violation of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012, rape, sexual assault and procuring of minor girls. • Child labour increased at 126%. In case of child marriages, there has been an increase in the no of child marriages.
Bihar topped in acute respiratory infections among children under-5 yrs
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • Non-Government Organisation, Save the Children released a report titled “Situation Analysis of Pneumonia in India”. The report was on respiratory infections in children. • As per the report, Bihar recorded the highest prevalence of acute respiratory infections among children under the age of 5 years when compared with the 5 high burden states between September 2018 and June 2019. • Bihar had 15.9% of the prevalence of ARIs. The other states in the top 5 ranking include, Uttar Pradesh (2nd), Jharkhand(3rd), Madhya Pradesh(4th) and Rajasthan(5th). • The main risk factor related to this health issue was household air pollution that lead to childhood pneumonia.
NSO survey recorded 77.7% literacy rate among above 7 years of age between 2017 and 2018 • As per the National Statistical Office (NSO) survey named “NSO survey on Household Social Consumption: Education as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey (NSS)” the literacy rate in the age group of seven years and above was recorded at 77.7% during July 2017-June 2018 in India. The rate was 73.5% in rural and 87.7% in urban areas. • Among males, 11% never enrolled, 42.7% ever enrolled but currently not attending while 46.2% were currently attending. • Among females, 16.6% never enrolled, 42.2% ever enrolled but currently not attending while 41.2% were currently attending. • The Gross Attendance Ratio (GAR) at the primary level was 101.2 %, 94.4% at upper primary/middle level and 98.7% at primary and upper primary /middle level. • Nearly 96.1% of the students were pursuing general courses and 3.9% were pursuing technical/ professional courses. • Nearly 57% in villages and 23.4 percent in cities received free education.
NGT sets up new panel on natural conservation zones The National Green Tribunal (NGT) constituted a fresh committee to assess whether sub- regional plans for the protection of Natural Conservation Zones (NCZs) were consistent with the regional plan prepared by the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB). • The Bench is headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Environment (MoEF), National Remote Sensing Centre, Forest Survey of India, and the Revenue Secretaries and Principal Chief Conservator of Forest of Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Ministry of Women and Child Development inks MoU with Ministry of Food Processing Industries to assist women organic farmers Both the Ministries have agreed to implement an annual event called ‘National Organic Festival of Women Entrepreneurs’ organized through NIFTEM -National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (an academic institution under the administrative control of MoFPI) at Kundli in Sonepat, Haryana. 8 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019
A 2-day ‘DEFCOM INDIA 2019’ seminar based on the theme “Communications: A Decisive Catalyst for Jointness” held at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi from November 26-27, 2019. • The seminar Defence Communication (or DEFCOM) is the flagship event in the area of military communication for achieving jointness between three services (Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy). The prestigious DEFCOM journal was also released during the event. • It was jointly organized by Corps of Signals, Indian Army and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers & Confederation of Indian Industry. • Raksha Rajya Mantri (Minister of State for Defence) Shri Shripad Naik, Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat were present during the event, which saw the active participation of armed forces, industry, research and development (R&D) organisations and the academia. • The DEFCOM exhibition showcased modern communication solutions from the industry and provided an opportunity for 3forces to gain insights on technology and industry capabilities.
1st Global Bio-India Summit held in New Delhi • The first ever Global Bio-India Summit was held in New Delhi from November 21-23,2019. The summit was one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders’ conglomerates. • The summit was inaugurated by Minister for Science and Technology Dr Harsh Vardhan and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in presence of other officials. • Dr. Harsh Vardhan released a report on private investment in biotechnology from a global perspective. • The report was prepared by DBT with the support of Institute for Competitiveness, which is a part of the global network of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School, Massachusetts, United States(US).
PM Modi addressed Accountants general and deputy accountants general conclave 2019 held in New Delhi • Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Damodardas Modi has addressed the 2-day Accountants General and Deputy Accountants General Conclave 2019 held in New Delhi From November 21-22, 2019 based on the theme ‘Transforming Audit and Assurance in a Digital World’. • It was held with the aim to consolidate experience and learning, and layout the plan of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department for the next few years.
Jal Ministry released documentary film “Shikhar se Pukar” to promote ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’ • Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat released a short documentary film on Water Conservation named ‘SHIKHAR SE PUKAR’ in New Delhi. The film has been made to promote ‘Jalshakti Abhiyan’ and create awareness about water conservation “Jal Sanrakshan Abhiyan”. 9 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • The film is based on the journey of Ravindra Kumar, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Uttar Pradesh who climbed Everest twice- first in 2013 and again on May 23, 2019. It also gives a glimpse on the significance of Himalaya & picturizes the difficulties and challenges in climbing the highest peak of the world. • The Mountaineer named his expedition as “Swachh Ganga Swachh Bharat Everest Abhiyan 2019” and carried ‘Ganga Jal’ and offered the holy water at the highest peak of the world.
4-day long 3rd edition of Destination Northeast (or Destination NE)’ festival 2019 held at IIT- BHU (Indian Institutes of Technology-Banaras Hindu University) grounds in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (UP) from November 23-26, 2019. • The Minister of State (MoS) for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) , Jitendra Singh has attended the same • It was organized by DoNER with the aim to bring the rest of India closer to the North East and to have experience of two rich cultures of Ganga and Brahmaputra, represented by Varanasi and North East respectively. • All the 8 North Eastern States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) participated in the event with the visitors having live experiences of the artisans and artists who work on looms and crafts. • Central Government Agencies including North East Regional Agricultural Marketing Cooperation Limited (NERAMAC), North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP), International Centre for Cultural Relations (ICCR),Lalit Kala Academy, Assam based CBTC (Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre) & NEHHDC (North East Handicrafts & Handlooms Corporation Ltd) were also participated in the event. • The previous editions of the event were held in Chandigarh and Delhi.
Bangladesh topped foreign tourist visits to India 2018, TN had most visits foreign tourist arrivals • The Ministry of Tourism submitted its report on foreign tourist visits to India in 2018 to the parliament. As per the report, Bangladesh topped the list for having maximum no. of the country’s visitors to India. Bangladesh was followed by United States(US) and United Kingdom(UK) in the second and third place respectively. • Among individual state visits, Tamil Nadu(TN) topped the list with for having the maximum number of tourist arrivals. In 2018, TN had 60 lakh foreign visitors. • TN was followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh(UP) with 50 lakh and 37 lakh foreign visitors respectively.
Jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh attends 8th WATEC Conference 2019 held in Tel Aviv, Israel • 8th WATEC (Water Technology and Environment Control ) Conference 2019 is based on the theme “Water Stewardship and Innovation – driving global leadership in the 10 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 responsible planning management, and protection of water” held at David Intercontinental in Tel Aviv ,Israel from November 18-21, 2019. • The conference, organized by Kenes Exhibitions, aimed to get updates on technologies related to water and environmental management. Several countries participated in the conference & showcased their new-age technologies and solutions. • Israel, known for its innovation in water management infrastructure, has recycled over 90% of its water, and nearly 80% of drinking water consumed is desalinated or recycled. The recycling of sewage water for agriculture in Israel is 80%. • The conference will help India learn technologies to preserve water & replicate it. India needs to act rapidly as the groundwater resources are depleting at a faster pace. • The water-stressed blocks in India are Tamil Nadu (541) followed by Rajasthan (218), Uttar Pradesh (139), Telangana (137), Punjab (111) and Haryana (81) & about 22% of India’s groundwater has either dried up or is in the ‘critical’ and ‘over-exploited’ categories.
PM Modi launched Fit India School grading system • Prime minister of India Shri Narendra Modi launched the Fit India school grading system in schools across the country. • The system ranks schools based on the fitness activities and facilities for such provided to students and teachers in the country. • The fit India grading system was announced by the PM during his Maan Ki Baat programme. • PM also announced the ‘Fit India week’ to be celebrated by the students and teachers in the first week of December. The initiative will be taken by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). It will include fitness programme and indigenous games from every state. The ranking is based on 3 categories. They are the Fit India Schools, which is the first level of ranking, Fit India School (3 star) and Fit India School (5 star).
AIIA inks MoU with Western sydney University, Australia to promote Ayurveda • New Delhi -based All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA),a public Ayurveda medicine and research institution has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Western Sydney University, Australia during the event ‘India Australia International Education and Research Workshop’ held at Ambedkar International Center in New Delhi. • The agreement was signed with the aim to promote the collaboration in education, research, investment in traditional medicine related infrastructure and developing guidelines for integrating Ayurveda principles with new age medicine. • The MoU was signed by Professor Tanuja Nesari, Director of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and Prof . Barney Glover, Vice Chancellor of Western Sydney University, Australia. • India is a priority country for Australia among other international partnerships. About Western Sydney University: Former name -University of Western Sydney
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019
Khan Market 20th most expensive retail location Delhi’s upscale Khan Market has moved up one position to become the world’s 20th most expensive retail location, according to global property consultant Cushman & Wakefield. • In its latest report, ‘Main Streets Across the World 2019’, the consultant said that annual rent at Khan market was $243 per square feet. • Causeway Bay in Hong Kong retains its top spot, commanding an annual rent of $2,745 per sq ft.
Central govt launches Sameer app to calculate AQI • The Central government has launched Sameer application, which calculates AQI (Air Quality Index), published by Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB). • AQI is a tool for reporting air quality on a daily basis. It is a measure of how air pollution affects one’s health within a short time period to help people know how the local air quality impacts their health. • Through this app, general public can post complaints with pictures and provide valuable suggestions. The pollutants monitored are Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) , Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone(O3) etc. AQI Categories : Good (0–50) – Minimal Impact Moderately polluted (101–200) – It may cause breathing difficulties in people with lung disease like asthma, and discomfort to people with heart disease, children and older adults. Severe (401-500) – It may cause respiratory issues in healthy people, and serious health issues in people with lung/heart disease. Difficulties may be experienced even during light physical activity.
Microsoft rolled out ‘K12 Education Transformation Framework’ in India • American multinational technology company Microsoft has launched “K-12 Education Transformation Framework” in India. The framework is about facilitating digital transformation of schools in India. • It was launched during the “2nd edition Microsoft Education Days” conducted by Microsoft in Gurgaon, Haryana. The framework comprises of 4 pillars. They are Leadership and policy, modern teaching and learning, intelligent environments and technology blueprint. • The aim of the framework is to provide educational leadership, govt decision-makers, teachers, learners, the tool to achieve integration of technology in a powerful and productive way. • So far, the framework has been adopted to over 50 countries. The programme will offer a series of workshops under the 4 pillars of the framework. About Microsoft: Founded- April 4, 1975. Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Satya Nadella. Headquarters- Washington, United States(US).
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 NDv2: NVIDIA’s World’s largest GPU-accelerated cloud-based supercomputer • NVIDIA announced the World’s Largest GPU (graphics processing unit)-accelerated cloud- based supercomputer named NDv2 on Microsoft Azure. • NDv2 is a supercomputer that has been built to handle most demanding Artificial intelligence (AI) and its High-Performance Computing (HPC) application. • NDv2 allows the customer for the first time to rent a whole AI supercomputer on demand from their desk, and match the competencies of large-scale, on premises of supercomputers which could take some months to deploy. • It is ideal for complex AI, machine learning and HPC workloads and it is cost efficient over traditional CPU based computing. It uses up to 800 NVIDIA V100 Tensor Core GPUs interconnected on a single Mellanox InfiniBand backend network. • NVIDIA is planning to release GPUDirect Storage in the first half of 2020. About NVIDIA It designs Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for the gaming and professional markets, as well as System on Chip units (SoCs) for the mobile computing and automotive market. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - Jensen Huang Headquarters - Santa Clara, California, United States (US)
LS passes Bill to merge two UTs The Lok Sabha has passed a Bill to merge the Union Territories Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Bill was passed by voice vote with the government asserting that the merger will fast track development of the two Union Territories. The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill 2019 seeks to provide “better delivery of services to the citizens of both Union Territories by improving efficiency and reduction in paper work.”
The Fifth NITI Aayog–DRC Dialogue Held in Wuhan • The Fifth Dialogue of NITI Aayog and Development Research Centre (DRC), of the State Council, People’s Republic of China, was held in Wuhan, China. The Indian delegation was led by Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. • This is the first ministerial Dialogue between China and India since the informal meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai. • Based on the agreement at the Fourth Dialogue in Mumbai 2018, DRC and NITI Aayog had undertaken joint research in the areas of WTO reform and urbanization, whose preliminary findings were presented at the Fifth Dialogue as a key deliverable. • The Sixth Dialogue will be convened in India in the second half of November 2020.
India to host SCO forum of Young Scientists and Innovators 2020
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • India has been selected to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) forum of Young Scientists and Innovators for the year 2020. • The decision was taken during the closing ceremony of the “5th Meeting of SCO Member States’ Heads of Ministries and Departments of Science and Technology(S&T) and Permanent Working Group on S&T Cooperation”. The meeting was conducted on November 20-22, 2019 in Moscow, Russia. • India will also be the host of Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of SCO Member States in 2020. The draft for the SCO roadmap on cooperation between research institutions for 2021-23 will be approved during this meeting. • A protocol of the 5th meeting of ministries and departments of S&T was signed by 8 SCO member state heads. • The leaders of the member SCO countries approved to host joint competition for SCO Multilateral R&D (Research & Development) projects by the end of 2020. About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Founded- 19 September 2003. Headquarters- Beijing, China. Secretary-General- Vladimir Norov. SCO members- China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan.
IIT Jodhpur develops catalytic convertor using Rajasthani clay • A team from the Indian Institute of Technology- Jodhpur’s (IIT-J) chemistry department led by professor Rakesh K Sharma, has developed catalytic converters for cars using Rajasthani clay. • It’s use will reduce pollution and is also cheaper to produce. The catalytic convertor was developed by extraction of the Iron-Nickel-Cobalt (Fe-Ni-Co) nanoparticles from the Rajasthani clay which acts as an oxygen reservoir. • A catalytic convertor is a device which reduces pollutants coming from the vehicles after being fitted to it. • The current catalytic converters use rare earth elements called Palladium (Pd) and Cerium (Ce) and their life span is about 10 years.
Gujarat best performer in PMJAY beneficiaries, UP & Bihar ranked worst • The Union health ministry submitted its detail to the Parliament on the no. of beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana scheme which is also known as Ayushman Bharat. • Gujarat was ranked as the best performer in terms of no. of hospital admissions. Gujarat has so far made a million hospital admissions and claimed worth Rs 1,519 crore. • Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were ranked as worst performers in terms of no. of beneficiaries, as Bihar reported only 1,20,000 hospital admissions and UP reported 230,000 hospital admissions.
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019
4-day long MoEFCC and CMS Vatavaran-2019 Short Film Competition and Festival on Environment begins • In a first, the four-day long Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, MoEF & CC & Centre for Media Studies (CMS) VATAVARAN-2019 Short Film Competition and Festival on Environment. • It was inaugurated at New Delhi by Union Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is also the Chair of the 2019 Awards Jury of CMS VATAVARAN.
Indian Railway Institute of Financial Management (IRIFM) inaugurated in Hyderabad • The institute will provide professional training in railway finances management. It was inaugurated by Vinod Kumar Yadav, Chairman of the Railway Board. IRIFM has been constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) at a cost of Rs.85 crores. • IRIFM is a green building that can generate 90% of its own power needs with solar installations on the campus besides a water-recycling plant. It is based on a 14-acre campus at Moula-Ali, Secunderabad, Telangana. About Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd(RVNL) RVNL is a mini-ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise(CPSE) under the Ministry of Railways. Founded- 2003. Headquarters- New Delhi. Chairman and Managing Director(MD)- Pradeep Gaur.
India and Uzbekistan signed Security Cooperation Agreement in New Delhi • The agreement was signed in New Delhi between Minister of Home Affairs(MoHA) of India Shri Amit Shah and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan Mr. Pulat Bobojonov, during his(Pulat) bilateral visit to India from November 20-23,2019. • The agreement will strengthen cooperation between both the nations in various fields such as counter-terrorism, organized crime and human trafficking. • Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai, along with other senior officers from the Ministry were present during the agreement signing event. About Uzbekistan: Capital- Tashkent Currency- Uzbekistani soʻm President- Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Prime Minister- Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov.
PSLV-C47 successfully launches Cartosat-3 and 13 Commercial nanosatellites into Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its forty ninth flight (PSLV-C47), successfully launched Cartosat-3 along with 13 Nanosatellites of USA from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. • Cartosat-3 was successfully injected into a sun synchronous orbit of 509 km. Subsequently, the 13 nanosatellites were injected into their intended orbits. • The mission life of the Cartosat-3 is 5 years. Cartosat-3 will address the increased user’s demands for large scale urban planning, rural resource and infrastructure development, coastal land use and land cover, etc. • PSLV-C47 was the 21st flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (with 6 solid strap-on motors). This was the 74th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota and 9th satellite of Cartosat series.
Centre extended ban on Assam based National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDBF) for 5 years • The announcement in this regard was made in a notification by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The ban was made due to NDFB’s series of violent acts like killings, extortion, joining with anti-Indian forces etc. • The ministry extended the ban on NDBF under the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. • The NDFB was formed in 1986, to obtain a sovereign Bodoland for the Bodo community people of Assam. Bodos are the largest tribal community in Assam, making 5-6% of the state’s population. • The NDBF group has been attacking civilians of non bodo community with the aim of creating Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD), the official name of Bodoland.
Republic Summit 2019 India’s moment – Nation First held in New Delhi • The two days event of Republic Summit 2019 India’s moment – Nation First was held on November 26th and 27th at Taj Palace, New Delhi. • The theme of the summit was “India’s Moment Nation First”.
The 10th edition of the Commonwealth Youth Parliament (#CYP10) was held in New Delhi, for the first time in India, from November 25-27, 2019 • It was hosted by Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) and the Delhi Legislative Assembly. • The objective of the #CYP10 was to enhance the youth and introduce them to a professional sphere to assume a position in public office. • Over 40 Commonwealth youth delegates aged 18 to 29 years attended the CYP10.
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019
International News
India ranks 44th in 2019 Nomura’s Food Vulnerability Index • Japanese company Nomura Global Market Research released a report titled “2019 Nomura’s Food Vulnerability Index” (NFVI). The report was about 50 countries, most vulnerable to the food price surge. India ranked 44th in the list out of the total 110 countries taken for analysis. • The top 50 countries reported for 60% of the global population, thus reflects the massive no. of individuals and households being vulnerable. • Nomura ranking: The ranking was based on the exposure in food prices based on 3 components. They were on country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per person share of food in household consumption and net food imports. • Lower per capita GDP, higher share of food in household consumption, high net food imports are some of the factors that lead a country vulnerable to rise in food prices. • Nomura reported 3 potential triggers for rise in food prices. They were weather related shocks, higher oil prices and sharp depreciation in the value of United States(US) dollar. About Nomura: Founded- December 25, 1925. Headquarters- Tokyo, Japan. President and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)- Koji Nagai.
3-day long 2nd India ASEAN Innotech summit 2019 held in Davao • 3-day long 2nd India ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) InnoTech Summit 2019 based on the theme “Accelerating towards innovative development” held from November 20 – 22 2019, SMX Convention Center, Davao, Philippines. • It was organized with the aim to build capacity between the regions and explore various areas of collaboration in the field of science, technology, and innovation, global research and development (R&D), promote partnerships between industry-academia-government & will enhance best practices in financing, strategy, and leadership. • The summit was jointly organized by the Philippines (DOST-Department of Science and Technology), FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry), and DST (Department of Science and Technology), India. • The 10 ASEAN members participating in the summit was Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. • The 1st edition of India ASEAN InnoTech Summit 2018 was held on 29-30 November 2018, The Lalit Hotel, New Delhi. About ASEAN: Motto– One Vision, One Identity, One Community Secretariat –Jakarta, Indonesia 17 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 Membership– 10 nations
EU Parliament declares climate emergency • The European Union’s legislature has declared a climate emergency, in a symbolic move aimed at increasing pressure on the incoming European Commission to take a stronger stance on climate change. • The climate declaration was passed today in Strasbourg during a European Parliament debate on the upcoming United Nations' COP25 climate summit. The summit kicks off on 2nd December in Madrid. • The resolution calls on the EU to cut emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 to become climate neutral by 2050.
New “Warm Jupiter” TOI-677 b exoplanet discovered by NASA • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s researches have recently discovered a new “Warm Jupiter” exoplanet. • It has been named as TOI-677 b. It is an alien world exoplanet transiting the main sequence late F-type star on an eccentric orbit by TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite). It is about 23% bigger and massive than Jupiter. • Warm Jupiters are gas giant planets with a minimum mass of 0.3 of Jupiter masses and orbit their stars between 10 to 100 days. The study is detailed in a paper published on arXiv.org About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): Headquarters- Washington District of Columbia (D.C), United State (US) Founded- July 29, 1958
Researchers discovered earth’s most uninhabitable place-Dallol Geothermal Field, Ethiopia • A team of researcher from Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) has discovered an aquatic environment on Earth with the complete absence of any forms of life. • The team was led by by biologist Purificación Lopez Garcia of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). • The purpose of this search is to get advance information about the components that reduce the chances of life. This study, published in the journal ‘Nature Ecology and Evolution’, showed that life is completely impossible in the hot, brackish, hyper-acidic ponds of the Dallol Geothermal Field in Ethiopia. About Dallol Geothermal Field: • The Dallol region is located on the crater, the salt-filled volcano. Boiling water and poisonous gases are continuously released from this crater due to hydrothermal activities. Even in winter the temperature of this place is more than 45 degree Celsius and it is one of the hottest climate areas on earth. 18 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • The highly salt and ultra-acid ponds are found in this area. At a standard of 0(very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline), the pH (Potential of Hydrogen ) of this place reaches less than zero, ie a negative mark. • It is also one of the lowest land points, lying 125 m /410 ft below mean sea level (MSL).
WHO study on physical activity among adolescents: India ranks 8th, Bangladesh tops
• Researchers from the World Health Organisation(WHO) led by Regina Guthold from the WHO’s Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing Department, has produced a study on first ever global trends for adolescent insufficient physical activity.
• The study is about the level of physical activity in children. India ranked 8th in the world with the lowest level of insufficient physical activity among adolescents. Bangladesh topped the list among 146 countries.
• The details of this study is published in the journal “The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health”.
• The assessment was based on all types of physical activities like time spent in active play, recreation and sports, active domestic chores, walking and cycling or other types of active transportation, physical education and planned exercise. United States(US) ranked 4th in the list.
2019 Global Diplomacy Index: India ranks 12th in holding diplomatic posts, China tops
• Global Diplomacy Index was launched by Sydney, Australia based Lowy Institute. The index was about the statistics, marking how the world’s diplomatic networks are expanding and shrinking. As per the index, India ranked 12th position among 63 countries for having diplomatic posts across the world. The list was topped by China.
• China overtook the United States in 2019 with 276 embassies and consulates worldwide, which is three more than the US. Thus US was ranked second in the list followed by France, Japan, and Russia in the 3rd,4th and 5th place respectively.
• As of 2019, New Delhi currently has 123 embassies and high commissions and 54 consulates globally.
Commonwealth signs pact to reduce violence against women
• Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the NO MORE Foundation, a global movement of 1,400 allied organizations and 40 international chapters working together to stop and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. • The MoU is a part of wider efforts to achieve the 2030 sustainable development goals. The partnership was announced at an event hosted at Commonwealth headquarters in London. Commonwealth has 53 member nations. 19 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • This year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2019 • marks the launch of 16 days of advocacy that will end on 10 December 2019 which is also International Human Rights Day. • The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2019 • It received its official United Nations (UN) resolution on December 17, 1999.
Facts of the Day (Important Days)
25 November- International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women • The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134). • The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subjected to rape, domestic violence and other forms of harassment and how the nature of the fact is being hidden. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). • The theme of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2019 is “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape”.
26 November- Constitution Day • Constitution Day (National Law Day), also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated in India on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. • On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, and it came into effect on 26 January 1950.
National Milk Day observed on 26th November 2019 • It is observed annually to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr.Verghese Kurien, who is called the father of the White Revolution in India. • White revolution denotes the ‘billion-litre idea’ of Kurien in the dairy production. The day was decided to be celebrated from 2014 onwards by all the dairy majors of the country along with Indian Dairy Association (IDA). • The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was founded under Kurien which he set up at Anand, the milk capital of India, in Gujarat. Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited), which was Kurien’s standalone cooperative then, refused no milk from a farmer. • In 1970, ‘Operation Flood’ was launched as an NDDB project. Under this project, India developed from being a milk importer to World’s largest milk producer. Thus, he is also known by the name ‘Milkman of India’.
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: 29 November
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. • On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine. • This date, which was chosen because of its meaning and significance to the Palestinian people, is based on the call by the United Nations General Assembly for an annual observance of the resolution on the partition of Palestine. • The International Day of Solidarity traditionally provides an opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the fact that the question of Palestine remains unresolved.
Facts of the Day (Awards)
Indian journalist Neha Dixit is one of the Winners of the 29th International Press Freedom Awards 2019
International Press Freedom Awards 2019 awarded by the Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) in New York.
CPJ is a non-profit organization aiming to entitle journalists to work without fear of recrimination. Dixit received the award for her reports on sex trafficking scandals in India.
Others in International Press Freedom Awards 2019 include
• Patrícia Campos Mello, Brazil
• Lucía Pineda Ubau and Miguel Mora, Nicaragua
• Maxence Melo Mubyazi, Tanzania About International Press Freedom Awards
• Location – New York, United States
• First awarded – 1991 About Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ)
• Formation – 1981
• Headquarters – New York, United States
Particles’ wins the Golden Peacock Award at IFFI 2019 • ‘Particles’ directed by Blaise Harrison and produced by Estelle Fialon has won the coveted Golden Peacock Award at the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which concluded in Goa on November 28, 2019. • The Golden Peacock Award carries a cash prize of Rs 40 lakhs to be shared equally between the Director and the Producer, Trophy and the citation.
Manisha Kulshreshtha won 28th Bihari Puraskar for 2018
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • Renowned writer from Rajasthan Manisha Kulshreshtha, was awarded the 28th edition of the Bihar Puraskar for the year 2018. She was awarded for the novel ‘Swapnapash’.
• The award has been given by KK Birla foundation. The award carried a citation, a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh and a plaque.
• She is known for her works like ‘Shigaf’, ‘Shalbhanjika’ and ‘Panchkanya’. She is also the editor of Hindi web magazine ‘Hindi Next’.
• The award is given to writers of Rajasthani origin for their outstanding work in hindi or Rajasthani for the past 10 years. The award is named after famous Hindi poet Bihari. The Bihari Puraskar is one of the three literary awards instituted by the KK Birla foundation.
• Author Mamta Kaliya(Chief guest), KK Birla Foundation director Suresh Rituparn and others were present during the event.
About K.K birla foundation:
• The foundation is named after Krishna Kumar Birla, famous Indian industrialist.
• Established - 1991, Delhi.
• Other awards institued- Saraswati Samman, Vyas Samman, Shankar Puraskar, Vachaspati Puraskar, G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research (in remembrance of Ghanshyam Das Birla).
Rahul Adhikari awarded 2019 Karmaveer Chakra by iCONGO and United Nations
• IIT Gold-Medalist from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT-R) & founder of International Changemaker Olympiad Rahul Adhikari, was conferred with 2019 Karmaveer Chakra Award and REX Karmaveer Global Fellowship at the REX CONCLiVE held in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The award was given for his contribution in the education sector. The award function is held every year on the day the Indian Constitutional Pledge was signed i.e, November 26.
• Previous awardees include Dr Verghese Kurien (Father of White Revolution), Actor Anupam Kher (for social work) and Mark Vincent Parkinson (renowned education change champion).
• The “International Changemaker Olympiad’ (ICO) (www.ico-official.org) was founded in 2017. It provides a platform for children in schools to launch social initiatives and solve a real-world problem in their home, school, or community.
About Karmaveer Chakra Award
It is national people’s award for citizen social action and a global civilian honours instituted by the International Confederation of NGO (iCONGO) in partnership with the United Nations(UN). The award is a tribute to Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, 11th President of India, who had offered to be an ambassador for the awards. All the awardees are dubbed Noble Laureates. 22 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019
Quality Ratna Award for Suresh Krishna • Chairman of Sundram Fasteners Ltd. Suresh Krishna was conferred the ‘Quality Ratna’ award by the CII Institute of Quality recently. • Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda presented the award to Mr. Krishna. • He constituted the TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) club of India in association with the JIPM (Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance) in 1998 and he was its first chairman.
Royal Aeronautical Society honour for DRDO chief G. Satheesh Reddy • Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) London has conferred the Honorary Fellowship of the Society for the year 2019 to G Satheesh Reddy, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, and Chairman of DRDO. • Reddy is the first Indian recipient of this prestigious award in over 100 years. • The Society’s highest award is bestowed in recognition of Reddy’s pioneering technological contributions over the past three decades which has enabled the country to realise frontline military systems and world class missile technologies. • It is considered equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the aerospace domain.
Karmaveer Maharatna Award for senior scribe • Mr. Nazakat was conferred with the award for his “consistent and outstanding contribution to Indian journalism. • Syed Nazakat, founder and Editor-in-Chief of DataLEADS, has been honoured with the prestigious Karmaveer Maharatna award by the international confederation of non-profit organisations in collaboration with the United Nations.
Facts of the Day (Sports)
Manavjit still the best Former World Champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu clinched men’s trap gold for the umpteenth time, with a victory over Vishavdev Singh Sidhu in the 63rd National shotgun championship at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, Tughlakabad. • Six-time Asian champion, the 43yearold Manavjit had to go through a shootoff on 120 with six others for five spots in the final behind leader Kynan Chenai (121).
27th Ekalabya Award 2019 – Odisha weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera • The annual award organized by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT) managed by IMFA (Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys limited) group. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs.5 lakhs along with a citation.
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • Jhilli Dalabehera has won two gold, three silver and a bronze medal in different International weightlifting events held between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2019. • Other Prize Winners: Jabamani Tudu (Odisha), women footballer and Namita Toppo (Odisha), a women hockey player will receive a cash prize of Rs.50,000 each along with a citation. About Ekalabya Award Instituted in 1993 The award is given to encourage and inspire young sportspersons to perform at National and International platforms.
Ravi, Deepika win gold The Indian wrestlers bagged two gold and silver medals on the opening day of the Asian under-15 championships. • In the freestyle category, Ravi Kumar defeated Japan’s Daito Katsume 42 to claim the gold in the 44kg category. • In women’s freestyle, Deepika Nain clinched the gold in 62kg.
Men’s Hockey World Cup (WC) matches for 2023 will be played in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from 13 -29 January, 2023. • This was announced by Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik at a grand ceremony at the Kalinga Stadium. • Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar shared the hosting event with Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. • The FIH, International Hockey Federation selected India for the host. Apart from India, Malaysia and Belgium were also contenders for hosting this World Cup. In the process that lasted for several rounds, India won. • Bhubaneswar has hosted World Cup matches for the second time in a row. It earlier hosted the WC matches in December 2018.
Lakshya wins Scottish Open title Lakshya Sen wins Scottish Open title in badminton, India's Lakshya Sen has won the Scottish Open men's single title, defeating Brazilian Ygor Coelho to seal his fourth title in three months. • Lakshya won his first BWF Super 100 title at the Dutch Open, with the second one coming soon after, at the SaarLorLux Open in Germany. He will be next seen in action in the Syed Modi International Championship, starting tomorrow in Lucknow.
Steve Smith became the fastest crickter to score 7,000 Test runs • Shattering a record that had stood since 1946, while moving past Donald Bradman to become Australia’s 11th highest scorer. The 30-year-old took a single off Muhammad Musa during the second Test against Pakistan in Adelaide to reach the milestone and take possession of a record held for 73 years by English great Wally Hammond. 24 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • Hammond reached the mark in 131 innings, while Smith, who played his first Test nine years ago, made the grade in his 126th. India’s Virender Sehwag is the third fastest in 134 innings.
Sangram Dahiya, Varsha Varman win double trap national titles Haryana's Sangram Dahiya and Varsha Varman of Madhya Pradesh clinched double trap titles, winning gold at the 63rd National Shotgun Shooting Championship in New Delhi. • In men's category, Sangram shot 142 out of 150 targets to leave behind former world champion Ankur Mittal, who managed 137 hits over the five rounds of 30 targets each to win a silver. Punjab's Prithvi Singh Chahal won bronze with a score of 135. • Varsha, in the women's category of 120 targets each, had 97 to her name to clinch the gold ahead of state-mate Manisha Keer, who had 93 hits winning Silver. Mahima Vishwakarma ensured a Madhya Pradesh sweep in the category, winning bronze with 92. • Both Sangram and Varsha also won the team gold for their respective States.
Sports ministry frames 13-member expert committee led by Justice Mukundakam Sharma to review the National sports code draft • The Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports has decided to establish a 13-member expert committee chaired by Retired SC (Supreme Court) Justice Mukundakam Sharma to review the draft of the National Code for Good Governance in Sports, 2017. • The committee will also be required to suggest measures for making the Draft National Code acceptable to all stakeholders. • It will overlook the comments received from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and other national sports federations & should review the draft of the national code with the present code (2011).
Belgrade, Yangzhou to host World Athletics Series competitions 2022 • World Athletics Council declared Belgrade, Serbia to host its first-ever World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022 and Yangzhou, China was confirmed as the host city of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships 2022. • Belgrade has hosted many track and field events over the years such as 1962 European Championships, 2013 European Cross Country Championships, 2017 European Indoor Championships, and the 2017 Balkan Championships. • World Half Marathon Championships was hosted in 2010 in Nanning, China and will stage next World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in 2020. About World Athletics: President - Sebastian Coe Headquarters - Monaco Founded - July 17, 1912
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 Athletes of the year 2019 – Eliud Kipchoge and Dalilah Muhammad Eliud Kipchoge and Dalilah Muhammad • Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya has been awarded Male Athlete of the year 2019 and Dalihah • Muhammad of America has been awarded Female Athelete of the year 2019 by World Athletics Award 2019 in Monaco, Europe. • Kipchoge won a highly competitive London marathon in April for the fourth time and he also became the first man to run a marathon in less than two hours. He has also won the Male athlete of the year 2018. • Dalihah Muhammad set a new world record in winning 400m Hurdles Gold at the World Athletics Championships 2019. World Athletics Awards 2019 Winners other categories: Selemon Barega (Ethiopia) - Male Rising Star Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukraine) - Female Rising Star Devartu Tulu (Ethiopia) - Woman of the Year Brother Colm O’ Connell (Ireland) - Coaching Achievement Felix Sanchez Arrazola (Spain) - Photograph of the Year Braima Suncar Dabo (Guinea-Bissau) - Fair Play Award Vikki Orvice (United Kingdom-UK) - President’s Award About World Athletics: Formation – 17 July 1912 Headquarters – Monaco Head – Sebastian Coe
Spain won sixth Davis Cup title 2019Rafael Nadal clinches sixth Davis Cup • Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal (33 years) led Spain to clinch its sixth Davis Cup title 2019 by defeating Denis Shapovalov of Canada in men’s singles. The Davis cup finals was conducted from November 18-24, 2019. It was held on indoor hard courts at the Caja Mágica in Madrid, Spain. • In 2019 he extraordinarily won French Open and the United State (US) Open, made the Australian Open final and also reached the Wimbledon semifinals He previously won Davis Cup in the year 2004, 2009 and 2011. About Davis Cup The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men’s tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Headquarters- London, United Kingdom (UK) Founded - 1990
Highlights of 2019 ISSF World Cup Final in Putian
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 China 2019 ISSF World Cup Final The 2019 ISSF World Cup was held from November 17- 23,2019 in Putian, China. It was the annual edition of the ISSF World Cup in the Olympic shooting events, governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation(ISSF). The highlights are as follows: • India tops medal tally with 3 gold in finals • India was followed by China with 4 medals (2gold,1silver,1 bronze) and France with two medals (1 gold, 1 bronze) in the second and third place respectively. • The mixed event medals were not included in the medal count. Women’s10m Air Pistol: Manu Bhaker won gold, creates junior world record. Men’s10 m Air Rifle: Divyansh Singh Panwar won gold medal. Women’s 10m air rifle: Elavenil Valarivan won gold
Gold for Abhishek & Jyothi combine 21st Asian archery championships • Abhishek Verma and V. Jyothi Surekha claimed the honours in compound mixed pair event to fetch India’s lone gold at the 21st Asian archery championships, which ended with the country winning seven medals in all. The Indian duo overwhelmed Chinese Taipei’s YiHsuan Chen and ChiehLuh Chen. • India ended with one gold, two silver and four bronze medals. The top seeded trio of Abhishek Verma, Rajat Chauhan and Mohan Bhardwaj missed the compound team gold by just one point.
2019 U-15 Asian Wrestling C’ships held in Taichun, China The U-15 Asian Wrestling Championships was held in Taichun, China from November 22-24, 2019. India topped the medal ranking with 28 medals which included 13 gold, 14 silver and 1 bronze medal. Kazakhstan and japan secured the second and third place respectively. • Gold Winners: India’s Deepak Chahal (75kg), Vishal (62 kg), Sagar Jaglan (68 kg) and Jatin (85kg) won the gold medal in the finals of the championship. • Silver winners: Komal (42kg), Sheetal (46kg) and Dhanshri Fand (50kg) contributed three silver medals to the tally on the finals of the championships.
Belgium holds the Top Spot in the year-end FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking 2019 for men; India 108th • Belgium holds its top spot in the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)/Coca-Cola World Ranking rankings 2019 after winning all ten games, followed by France and Brazil at 2nd and 3rd places respectively. • India takes the 108th place losing four places in accordance with the September 2019 rankings. Japan takes the 28th place replacing Iran and becomes Asia’s highest-ranking team, Senegal takes the 20th place becoming Africa’s top team and FIFA World Cup host for the year
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 2019 and 2020, Qatar takes the 55th place after winning the qualifying game for the 2023 Asian Cup.
States
Sangai Festival 2019 begins in Manipur Week-long Manipur Sangai Festival 2019 started in Manipur. The festival is organized by the State Tourism Department and biggest festival held annually to promote tourism. • Manipur Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh attended the inaugural function as Chief Guest. State Ministers, dignitaries from foreign countries also attended the function. • During the festival, cultural programmes, traditional games, folk dance and classical music will be performed by different communities of the State as well as from other States. The festival will conclude on the 30 November.
Uddhav Thackeray sworn in as the 19th Chief Minister(CM) of Maharashtra by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari • He preceded Devendra Gangadhar Rao Fadnavis • Uddhav Thackeray sworn in along with six other cabinet members at the Shivaji park Mumbai.
UP’s 1st vulture conservation center to be built in Maharajganj • In a bid to conserve the population of endangered vultures, the state Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has decided to set up its 1st ‘vulture conservation and breeding centre’ in Pharenda area of Maharajganj district in the state. • The new center, to be set up by the state in association with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), a wildlife research organization in Gorakhpur forest division, will be developed on the lines of the country’s first Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre (Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre (VCBC)) set up in Pinjore, Haryana. • The centre will run with the aim to protect and increase the population of 3critically-endangered vultures – white-backed (Gyps Bengalensis), long-billed (Gyps Indicus) and slender-billed (Gyps Tenuirostris) – which are protected under Schedule (I) of the Indian Wildlife Act,1972. • Since 2002, The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) found in India, Pakistan and Nepal has been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. • According to the census of 2013-14, about 900 vultures were found in 13 districts.
The Chhattisgarh Government has decided to declare Guru Ghasidas National Park (GGNP) as Tiger Reserve. • The Guru Ghasidas National Park is located in the Koriya district in Chhattisgarh and it is the 4th Tiger reserve in the state. • The decision was taken by Bhupesh Baghel, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh in the 11th meeting of Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board. 28 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • The meeting of Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board also included the drafting of action plans for the conservation of the State wild animal – wild Buffalo, State bird – hill Myna and Vultures and also the discussion of efforts to increase and protect tigers in the state. Other Three Tiger reserves in Chhattisgarh: Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve – Udanti Indravati Tiger Reserves – Dantewada Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary (declared as Tiger Reserve in 2009)
Chhattisgarh - Constitution of State Folk Art Council • The Chhattisgarh Government has decided to constitute the State Folk Art Council to preserve and nurture the traditional art forms and artists. • Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has directed Chief Secretary RP Mandal to take mandatory steps to set up the council. • The State Folk Art Council would work to collect literature folk arts, ensure the registration of all kinds of folk art groups and provide musical instruments and other materials required by them. • The council would also organize district and state-level cultural competitions and also provide allowance to artists and will establish training institutes and promote folk art and cultural exchange with other states through modern promotion mediums and by organizing festivals.
Chhattisgarh Panchayati Raj Act 1993 amended to have disabled quota • The Chhattisgarh Government has approved an amendment to the State Panchayati Act 1993 to enable the presence of a person with a disability in all Panchayats across the state without a representative and also the provisional requirement to contest in Panchayat elections has been moved. • Apart from above, the state cabinet gave its nod to scrap the mandatory provision of passing Class V for contesting elections for the post of ‘panch’ and Class VII for posts of ‘sarpanch’.
Chhattisgarh - Setting up of two new Universities The Cabinet has approved the setting up of two new Universities in the state, one of the universities is for Horticulture and Forestry and will be named after Mahatma Gandhi and another will be named after former state Congress president late Nand Kumar Patel in Raigarh district.
International tourism mart opens in Imphal Tourism Ministry plans to organise the eighth edition of “International Tourism Mart” in Imphal from November 23 to 25 to highlight the tourism potential of the northeastern region in the domestic and international markets. • The event is to be jointly inaugurated by Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Culture and N Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur.
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • The theme of the event is “Sustainable Tourism an engine for Economic Growth and Employment”. • North-East region comprises of eight States Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. The international tourism marts are organised in the North-Eastern States on a rotation basis. Manipur is hosting this mart for the second time.
UP Government launch immunization campaign against filariasis
• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government launched an immunization campaign to eradicate Filariasis or Filaria in UP. The campaign will be held from November 25 – December 10, 2019.
• The campaign was launched by Health and Family Welfare Minister Jai Pratap Singh.
• The medicine (one tablet of Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and Albendazole each) will be distributed to 19 districts (6.5 crores people) till December 10.
• Under this campaign, around 65 thousand teams of health workers will be working to control filaria. Under the campaign special focus will be given to create a mosquito-free environment and cleanliness.
• Filaria: Filaria (popularly known as the elephant’s foot) is a disease that is spread by infected mosquitoes especially through the parasitic Culex fatigans female mosquito. There are no effective methods available to treat this disease, prevention is the only way.
• 19 districts covered under the campaign have been divided into two categories namely double drug and triple- drug in which they will be provided DEC tablet, Albendazole, and ivermectin.
• UP government launched this campaign with special focus on central government’s target to eradicate Filaria from the country by the year 2021.
Madhya pradesh to give 5% reservation to sportspersons in state govt jobs
• This announcement was made by MP Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Jitu Patwari during the inauguration ceremony of Regional Olympic Games at Kampoo sports complex in Gwalior.
• The MP state government offers government jobs to Vikram award (the highest sports awards for players in the state) recipients every year.
• Under-16 Provincial Olympics will be started to nurture sports talent children from all Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), government and private schools would be involved in the Under 16 Provincial Olympics.
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • Currently the Games are being organized in the provincial Olympics for talent selection only for children above 16 years of age group. It consists of 10 sports- including hockey, basketball, football, volleyball, kabaddi and kho-kho.
The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh(AP) Shri Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Citizens’ help centre, to register complaints of bribery in government offices and make AP, a corruption-free state.
• A toll-free number 14400 to receive complaints related to corruption was launched by the CM. Investigation after registration of complaints will be completed within 15-30 days.
• Posters in Telugu and English were also released to bring awareness among the public on the helpline.“Let’s join hands to eradicate corruption and the like” is the main slogan on the poster.
• Help centres were launched in collaboration between the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the state and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) in Gujarat. The IIM-A team is expected to submit its report regarding the structural issues in government departments in February 2020.
Persons/events
Former Madhya Pradesh CM Kailash Joshi dies at 91 Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kailash Joshi has passed away at the age of 91. He died at a private hospital in Bhopal, after a prolonged illness. • He was called as the 'saint of politics', served as the state's chief minister from 1977 to 1978. He was MLA for eight terms and also served as member of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
Ex-Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar passed away Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar passed away at the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi. He was 79 years old. Admiral Kumar was the 16th Chief of Naval Staff and oversaw Naval operations during the Kargil conflict of 1999. He authored a book that portrays the defence related decisions taken by late former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee titled “A Prime Minister to Remember- Memories of a Military Chief”.
IAS officer Suman Billa designated as director of United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Government of India (GoI) has approved the appointment of Suman Billa (a 1996 batch IAS- Indian Administrative Service officer from the Kerala cadre) as director of Technical
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 Cooperation and Silk Road Development at D1 level in United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) at its headquarters in Madrid, Spain for a period of 2 years, initially. Billa currently serving as the joint secretary in the ministry of tourism & played a key role in Spice Route project and fashioned Kerala’s Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative in a global model, which won the UNWTO’s Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance. About UNWTO Founded -October Secretary-General -Zurab Pololikashvili
Lakshminarayanan appointed Tata Comm MD & CEO Tata Communications said it has appointed Amur Swaminathan Lakshminarayanan as its managing director and CEO. Prior to joining Tata Communications, Lakshminarayanan was President and CEO of Tata Consultancy Services Japan.
Veteran Tamil actor and theatre artist Bala Singh passed away at the age of 67 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu due to illness. • Bala, an alumnus of National School of Drama(NSD) started his career as a theatre artiste. He rose to fame in actor Nasser’s Avatharam(1995), where he played the role of a villain. It was also his debut film. • Bala worked under various tamil directors like Mani Ratnam, Shankar and with actor/director Kamal Haasan. He had also appeared in telugu and Malayalam films.
Former WB Minister Kshiti Goswami passes away in Chennai The General Secretary of The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and former West Bengal Minister Kshiti Goswami died after a brief illness. He was 76. • Goswami was PWD Minister in Jyoti Basu and Buddhadev Bhattacharjee's cabinet in the Left Front Government in the State.
Sudhir Dar, renowned Cartoonist passes away at 87 due to cardiac arrest in Gurgaon, Haryana. Sudhir Dar was an award-winning Indian cartoonist, one of the ‘second generation’ of editorial cartoonists. He had worked in many newspapers over the spanning period of 58 years. • He had also drawn calendars for the World Bank for 20 years. His cartoons have also appeared in The Independent, The Pioneer, Delhi Times, New York Times, The Washington Post and Saturday Review. • He also showed his work on his father Krishna Prasad Dar’s book, ‘Kashmiri Cooking’. Jayant Narlikar’s ‘Journey Through the Universe’ also illustrated his cartoons.
Shaukat Kaifi former actor and writer passed away
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 Shaukat Kaifi was an Indian theater artist and film actor and her husband was an Urdu poet and film lyricist Kaifi Azmi. Shaukat Kaifi and Kaifi Azmi were key associates in the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) and Progressive Writers Association (IWA). She was born in Hyderabad, Telangana.
She is best known for her work in M.S Sathyu’s ‘Garm Hava’, Muzaffar Ali’s ‘Umrao Jaan’, Sagar Sarhadi’s ‘Bazaar’ and Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated film ‘Salaam Bombay’, she has also written an autobiography, ‘Kaifi and I’.
Shaukat Kaifi’s daughter Shabana Azmi is an Indian actor and nominated Member of Parliament
Explorer Barbara Hillary passes away at 88
Barbara Hillary, who was in her 70s when she became the first black woman to officially make it to the North and South Poles, has died at 88. She had retired from a nursing career and survived separate occurrences of breast and lung cancer when she started travelling in the Arctic.
Yasuhiro Nakasone, one of Japan’s longest-reigning Prime Ministers and known for his friendship with Ronald Reagan, has passed away at the age of 101.
Nakasone, Prime Minister from 1982 to 1987, shared the world stage with Reagan and Margaret Thatcher while battling with bureaucrats over domestic reforms.
In 1983, he became the first Japanese premier to officially visit South Korea, mending fences with a country that Japan had brutally colonised from 1910 to 1945.
Australian writer Clive James is dead
Clive James, an expatriate Australian writer and broadcaster who wrote incisively and often hilariously about television, literature and current affairs, has died aged 80. James has won awards for journalism and broadcasting. His memoirs Unreliable Memories was a bestseller.
Nikanth Khadilkar, senior journalist passed away at 85 in Mumbai
Renowned senior journalist Nikanth Khadilkar died at Lilavati, a private hospital after a brief illness in Suburban Bandra in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Nikanth Khadilkar was the owner, editor, and publisher of Marathi newspaper – ‘Navakal’ for 27 years and was popular for his editorials and books.
Books written by Nikanth Khadilkar:
• Practical Socialism: Musings from a tour of Russia
• Majhi Citraphita: Towvarsa (i.e.Towers)
Cartoonist Sudhir Dhar dies at 87
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 Renowned cartoonist Sudhir Dhar, whose works have graced several newspapers in a career spanning 58 years, died after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 87.
Dhar began his career with The Statesman in 1961, after which he moved to Hindustan Times. His cartoons have also appeared in The Independent, The Pioneer, Delhi Times, New York Times, Washington Post and Saturday Review, among others.
Defence
Defence minister Rajnath Singh addresses DRDO Industry synergy summit 2019 held in Hyderabad, Telangana • Defence Minister of India, Shri Rajnath Singh has attended the one-day long Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) organised DRDO Industry Synergy Summit 2019 held at Auditorium of Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Vigyanakancha in Hyderabad, Telangana wherein discussions were held with the DRDO industry partners to further proliferate the initiatives taken by DRDO for industries. • $10 billion target set for creating job opportunities for 20-30 lakh people by 2025: Rajnath • As per Mr. Rajnath, the defense ministry has set a target of $ 26 billion for aerospace, defense services and goods by 2025 under the new defense production policy & with this policy of the government, a target of about $10 billion has been set to create job opportunities for 20-30 lakh people. • DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy ,Senior officials and around 300 Industry representatives were present on the occasion. About DRDO: Formed -1958 Headquarters - New Delhi Motto -“Strength’s Origin is in Science”
NCC celebrates its 71st Raising Day on 24 November The National Cadet Corps (NCC), the world's largest uniformed youth organization, is celebrating its 71st Raising Day on 24 November. • The NCC Raising Day was also celebrated all over the country with the cadets participating in marches, cultural activities and social development programs. • Many cadets have done the nation and the organization proud by their remarkable achievements in the fields of sports and adventure. • NCC continues its relentless efforts towards moulding the youth into responsible citizens of the country.
The Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) have conducted Mine Countermeasure Exercise (MINEX) 2019 at Kochi, Kerala on explosive ordnance disposal and mine countermeasure, for the 1st time 34 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or [email protected]
Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • Officials of the Indian Navy and from the warships Bungo and Takashima of JMSDF’s Minesweeper (a naval ship that is deployed in removing naval mines) Division 3, commanded by Captain Seiji Ikubu took part in the exercise. Other exercises between India & Japan • JIMEX- It is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Japan. • Exercise Malabar– It is a trilateral naval exercise involving the United States, Japan, and India as permanent partners. • Exercise Dharma Guardian- It is an annual joint military exercise between Indian and Japan since 2018.
Exercise Mitra Shakti-VII: 2019 • The seventh edition of India-Sri Lanka joint training exercise, Exercise MITRA SHAKTI– 2019 is scheduled to be conducted at Foreign Training Node (FTN), Pune from 01 - 14 December 2019. • The sixth edition of the exercise was held in Sri Lanka. • The aim of this joint training exercise is to build and promote positive relations between armies of India and Sri Lanka with focus on sub unit level training for counter insurgency & counter terrorism operations in urban and rural environment under United Nations mandate.
ISRO has transferred its indigenous technology to produce space-grade Li-Ion cells to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) • In March 2018, BHEL signed the Technology Transfer Agreement with ISRO for acquiring the Li-Ion Cell production technology. • This production facility is primarily targeting to meet Li-Ion Cell requirements for ISRO and other strategic sectors. • BHEL can also produce and sell Li-Ion cells for meeting other national/commercial applications by suitably modifying the space-grade cell which can lead to cost reduction. • BHEL is in the process of establishing the Li-Ion production facility near Bangalore in Karnataka.
Indian Army inducted made in Israel, Anti Tank Guided Missiles Spike (ATGMS), along LoC in J&K as a part of the “emergency purchase” mechanism • Indian Army has inducted Israel made Anti Tank Guided Missiles Spike ATGMS) along the Line of Control (LoC) in the northern command theatre in Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen security along the border with Pakistan. Israel has delivered 210 missiles along with 12 launchers to Indian Army under a Rs 280 crore deal. • They are known as “fire and forget” missiles. • These are portable by men and can destroy tanks, bust bunkers shelters, launching pads and terrorist training camps within four kilometres. About Israel:
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 Capital: Jerusalem Currency: Israeli new shekel Prime Minister: Benjamin Netanyahu President: Reuven Rivlin
Indian Army successfully test-fired 2 Spike LR missile in MP • The Indian Army has successfully test-fired two newly-acquired Spike LR (long-range) anti- tank missiles at the Infantry School at Mhow, Madhya Pradesh(MP). • The test-fire was witnessed by all high officials including Chief of Army Staff(COAS), General Bipin Rawat. India became the 33rd country to have the Spike missile as part of its inventory. • Spike LR is an Israeli fire-and-forget anti-tank guided 4th generation missile with a target range of up to 4 kilometers. The missile has the ability to fire, observe and update, providing substantial flexibility to the firer to pinpoint the impact point. It also has the ability to switch to a different target mid-flight.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the 3-day-long Military Literature Festival (MLF) on 13 December 2019 at Chandigarh. • The event would present an international level forum to foster and preserve the exchange of knowledge related to military literature and associated works. • The 10 books of noted defence and literary authors would also be released on occasion. • This year, the event would commemorate Indian participation in the Burma Campaign in World War II, the 75th anniversary of which falls next year.
Others
‘The Third Pillar’ – a business book written by Raghuram Govind Rajan
Renowned author, professor of Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and former 23rd Governor of the RBI (Reserve Bank of India),Raghuram Govind Rajan, has written a book named ‘The Third Pillar: How Markets and the State Leave the Community Behind’.
The book is a reflection on the present state of the World in the views of the trinity of Markets, State and Community as the three pillars of the Society and how the first two have moved ahead leaving the third behind. The book has been published by Penguin Press.
Raghuram Rajan was also the Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Other books written by Raghuram Rajan:
• I Do What I Do
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy
• Co-authored – Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists and The Squam Lake Report: Fixing the Financial System
Former Australian Cricket Umpire Simon James Arthur Taufel has written a book named ‘Finding the gaps – Transferable Skills to be the best you can be’
The book has been released in Pune, Maharashtra published by Pan Macmillan India. He has written this book to share his experience in Umpiring, Coaching, Training and Administration in Cricket.
Simon Taufel was a member of the ICC (International Cricket Council) Elite umpire panel and has won five consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards between 2004 to 2008. He announced his retirement from International Cricket on 26th September 2012 after the ICC World Cup 2020 final. Later on he worked as the ICC’s Umpire Performance and Training Manager until October 2015.
Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launches three books
Union HRD Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched three books which are a collection of stories for children namely Kumbh, Garam Pahad and Dilli ki Bulbul (Sindhi edition) in New Delhi.
Authored by popular writer of children’s books and travelogues Dr. Anita Bhatnagar Jain, the three books are a collection of stories for children and have brought out environmental issues and topics like socio-cultural unity& cultural heritage in a very simple and interesting manner.
Book titled “Hemant Karkare -A Daughter’s Memoir” by Jui Navare released
• Marking the 11th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, a book titled “Hemant Karkare -A Daughter’s Memoir” by Jui Karkare Navare was released in Prerna hall of police club in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The book portrays former Anti Terrorism Squad(ATS) chief Hemant Karkare’s life as a father to Jui Navare. The book has been published by Crossword.
• 18 security personnel lost their lives in the 26/11 terror attacks, also known as the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, in 8 places of Mumbai.
RN Kao: Gentleman Spymaster – Book on legendary Spymaster late RN Kao written by Nitin Anant Gokhale
• A book on the life history of legendary Spymaster and one of the Founding father of India’s external agency RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), Rameshwar Nath Kao, written by Nitin Anant Gokhale will be published soon by Bloomsbury India.
• The book is based on the anecdotes of RN Kao’s life.
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Weekly BeeBooster 23rd Nov to 30th Nov 2019 • RN Kao was one of the founding members of the DGS (Directorate General of Security), Deputy Director at the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the personal Security Chief to Prime Minister (PM) Jawaharlal Nehru and Security Advisor to PM Rajiv Gandhi.
• He was also the founder of the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) and the Joint Intelligence Committee.
Other books written by Nitin Anant Gokhale
• The Hot Brew: The Assam Tea Industry’s most Turbulent Decade, 1987-1997
• Sri Lanka: From War to Peace
• Beyond NJ9842: The SIACHEN Saga
• 1965 Turning the Tide
• Securing India The Modi Way: Pathankot, Surgical Strikes and more
• Securing India The Modi Way: Balakot, Anti Satellite Missile Test and more
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