December 5, 2018 Abhyaas Newsboard... For the quintessential test prep student

Persons in News 1. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed former IAS officer Ashok Kumar Gupta as Chairperson of Competition Commission of (CCI). The CCI was established in the year 2003 and is headquartered in New Delhi 2. Former India captain Rahul Dravid was officially inducted into International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Hall of Fame. 3. "Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Statue of Unity - the World's tallest statue. It is located in Sadhu Bet Island, Kevadia, Gujarat, with a height of 182 meters (597 FT). It has been designed by Ram Vanji Sutar and built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T). 4. National Education Day of India is celebrated every year on 11 November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He was the first education minister of independent India and he is also credited with the establishment of UGC (University Grants Commission). 5. The Centre has accepted the collegium recommendation for the elevation of four High Court Chief Justices as SC judges - Hemant Gupta, R Subhash Reddy, M R Shah and Ajay Rastogi. 6. Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia recently touched a new high in his career by achieving the number one rank in the world in the 65kg category. Bajrang was placed atop the ranking table with 96 points in the United World Wrestling (UWW) list. 7. Veteran sports journalist Roshan Lal Sethi passed away on November 11, 2018 after a prolonged illness. He was 81. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. Sethi started his sports journalism career in 1964 with 'Motherland' newspaper and remained associated with it till 1975 as sports editor. 8. India’s Angad Vir Singh Bajwa won the gold medal with a world record score in the men's skeet final at 8th Asian Shotgun Championship in Kuwait. With the feat, he became the first Indian skeet shooter to win gold at a continental or world level event. 9. President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed Arvind Saxena as the new Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission. He joined as a member of the Commission in May 2015 and has been performing the duties of the post of Chairman since June 2018. 10. The Union Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has formally launched ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’ in New Delhi. The mission aims to provide a boost to the Intellectual Property Right culture in the indigenous defence industry. 11. President Ram Nath Kovindwww.lawprep.in has appointed Sunil Arora as the new Chief Election Commissioner. He would be succeeding OP Rawat who retired on November 24. 62-year-old Arora was appointed to the Election Commission on August 31, 2017. 12. Mary Kom has created history by winning her sixth world championship gold at the 10th World Women’s Boxing Championships, held in New Delhi, India. She is the only woman to become World Amateur Boxing champion for a record six times. 13. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed the Unique Identification Authority of India CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new revenue secretary. He will succeed current Finance and Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, who is retiring on November 30. 14. Playback singer Mohammed Aziz passed away in , Maharashtra on November 27, 2018. Born in Ashoknagar, West Bengal, he was the voice behind evergreen tracks such as "My name is Lakhan", "Aap ke aa jane se" and "Dil le gayi teri bindiya”.

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15. Renowned flautist Pandit Keshav Ginde will be conferred the 2018 prestigious Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Lifetime Achievement (LTA) Award for Classical Music. The annual LTA award, instituted by Maharashtra Government, honours maestros in classical music and singing. It carries a cash award of Rs 500,000, a memento and a citation, 16. India's batting star Harmanpreet Kaur was on November 26, 2018 named the captain of the ICC Women's World Twenty20 XI, which also features Indian opener Smriti Mandhana and leg-spinner Poonam Yadav. 17. Kannada actor and politician Ambareesh passed away on November 24, 2018 due to cardiac arrest. He was 66. Known as a "rebel star", Ambareesh had acted in over 200 films and had carved a niche for himself in the Kannada film industry. 18. Indian classical music stalwart Ustad Imrat Khan, who dedicated his life to propagating the and the worldwide, passed away in the on November 22, 2018 after a brief illness. He was 83. Imrat Khan had famously turned down the Padma Shri in 2017 saying that the recognition had come too late and diminished his achievements. 19. Lt Gen P S Rajeshwar took over as 12th Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman, COSC. Prior to this appointment, he was serving as Director General at Integrated HQ, Ministry of Defence. 20. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena sacked the incumbent prime minister of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe, and appointed former President Mahinda Rajapaksha as his replacement. 21. Kim Jong Yang, a South Korean police officer, has been elected the new President of Interpol for a two-year term. He succeeded Meng Hongwei of . The decision was taken at the 87th General Assembly of the Agency in Dubai, UAE. The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) is the international organization that facilitates international police cooperation. Its’ headquarters is located at Lyo, France. 22. Maldives Parliament has passed a motion with the required three-fourths majority to repeal the age limit of the presidential candidacy. The motion, which proposed to repeal the constitutional amendment banning those above 65 years of age from contesting the presidential elections, was passed 72 members voting in its favour in 85- member Majlis. 23. Renowned scientist Nageshwara Rao Guntur was appointed as Chairperson of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for the period of 3 years. Guntur is the chairman at Project Design Safety Committee, Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) and former distinguished scientist Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL). 24. WhatsApp on November 22, 2018 announced the appointment of Abhijit Bose as its India head. This is the first time that it has named a head for the country that accounts for most users across the world. The Facebook-owned app had been drawing flakes from the government to devise ways to trace the origin of fake messages circulated on the platform 25. Popular singer Nahid Afrin of Assam has been appointed as the first 'Youth Advocate' of the northeastern region by UNICEF India to fight for child rights. The UNICEF engages 'Youth Advocates' to harness their voice as agents of change in society. The youth advocates support initiatives of positive change that include access to quality education, basic healthcare, ending violence against children, and addressing the issues of equity and inclusion. Places in News www.lawprep.in 1. Union Cabinet has approved setting up of Central Tribal University in Relli village of Vizianagaram District of Andhra Pradesh. 2. The National Seminar on Entrepreneurship and Business Development in Ayurveda was held in New Delhi. It was organised by Ministry of AYUSH in association with NITI Aayog. 3. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved renaming of Jharsuguda Airport, Odisha as 'Veer Surendra Sai Airport'. 4. The Uttar Pradesh government approved renaming of Faizabad and Allahabad divisions as Ayodhya and Prayagraj respectively. 5. The annual Sangai Festival was celebrated in northeastern state of Manipur. It is named after the state animal, Sangai, the critically endangered brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur. The festival aims to promote Manipur as world class tourism destination.

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6. International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy Efficiency (INSPIRE 2018) launched in New Delhi. It was jointly organised by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and World Bank. 7. The newly-built Ekana International Stadium of Lucknow was on November 5, 2018 renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The stadium will now be known as 'Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium'.The stadium was renamed just ahead of the first-ever international cricket match - the T20 International between India and West Indies. 8. Four-day regional meeting of World Customs Organisation (WCO) was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan. It was attended by representatives of 33 member countries of Asia.The meeting was jointly chaired by WCO Deputy Secretary General, Ricardo Travino and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Chairman, S Ramesh. 9. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved a Safe City project for Lucknow at a total cost of Rs. 194.44 crore under the Nirbhaya Fund Scheme. The project would be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Centre and State sharing the funding in 60:40 ratio. 10. India has successfully carried out night user trial of Agni-I short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile at Abdul Kalam Island, Bay of Bengal. 11. The world’s largest airport was unveiled by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan outside Istanbul. The new $11.7 billion will be one of the world's busiest, though it will not be fully operational until January. The name of the new airport will be Istanbul Airport. The airport uses mobile applications and artificial intelligence for customers, is energy efficient and boasts of a high-tech security system. 12. Abu Dhabi hosted the second edition of the India-UAE Strategic Conclave on November 27, 2018 under the patronage and in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mabarak Al Nahyan. 13. In Kenya, the first-ever Sustainable Blue Economy Conference 2018 was held in Nairobi from November 26 to 28 with theme ‘The Blue Economy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. The global conference was organized by Kenya, with Canada and Japan as co-hosts. 14. The G20 summit 2018 was held at Buenos Aires, Argentina on November 30 under the theme ‘Building Consensus for Fair and Sustainable Development’. The annual meeting was attended by leaders of the top 20 economies of the world including India PM Narendra Modi. 15. The International prototype of kilogram (IPK), which serves as the international standard of kilogram, is kept at the BIPM in Paris, France. It is made of 90 per cent platinum and 10 per cent iridium and is a cylinder of 39 mm diameter and 39 mm height. The replicas of the IPK are made of the same material and used at BIPM as reference or working standards. Events of Significance

1. The Supreme Court held that law presumes in favour of marriage and against concubinage when man and woman have cohabited continuously for a number of years and a woman can claim maintenance under Section 125 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). 2. The Union Cabinet chairedwww.lawprep.in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved signing and ratifying the Extradition Agreement between India and Morocco. India has Extradition Treaties currently in force with 43 countries and has Extradition Arrangements with 10 countries. 3. India is elected as member of International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Council for another 4-year term from 2019 to 2022. ITU was formed in the year 1865 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. 4. The restoration of an aristocratic house project from partial ruin state in Ladakh undertaken by LAMO (Ladakh Arts and Media Organisation) Center has won 2018 UNESCO Asia-Pacific award for Cultural Heritage conservation in Award of Distinction category. LAMO is public charitable trust established to articulate an alternative vision for the arts and media in Ladakh. 5. Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has launched Harit Diwali-Swasth Diwali campaign aimed to reduce adverse environment especially pollution in the country after post Diwali celebrations.

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6. The inaugural session of the Indian Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 was held at Cannes, France. Hosted by noted actor Shri Sharad Kelkar, the Indian delegation present consisted of H.E. Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Ambassador of India to France, Shri Ashok Kumar Parmar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Govt. Of India, Shri Prasoon Joshi, Writer, Poet and Chairman, Central Board of Film Certification India and a few others. 7. The first ever India-US Dialogue on Intellectual Property (IP) was launched in New Delhi to deepen bilateral strategic cooperation on IP policy.It was launched by US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) and Industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in partnership with US- India Business Council (USIBC). 8. Delhi Police launched e-learning portal ‘NIPUN’ to impart training and provide up to date information to police officers.The initiative is aimed at imparting in-service online training and information to police personnel through specialised courses available online. 9. The Supreme Court in November, 2018 declined early hearing of petitions in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul said it had already listed the appeals before the appropriate bench in January. The bench said, "We have already passed the order. The appeals are coming up in January. Permission declined," while rejecting the request of early hearing of lawyer Barun Kumar Sinha, appearing for the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha. 10. Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat announced that the Indian Army has dedicated the Year 2018 to the welfare of Disabled Soldiers who have been disabled in the line of duty, while serving the Nation. 11. The Union Government has launched a unique initiative called Bhasha Sangam to introduce school students to 22 Indian languages. The initiative aims to enhance linguistic tolerance and respect and promote national integration. 12. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced that a cricketer guilty of age fraud will be barred from all its recognised tournaments for a period of two years. 13. The United Nations Environment has awarded India’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau with the Asia Environment Enforcement Award, 2018 for the excellent work done by the Bureau in combating transboundary environmental crime 14. The Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018 seeks to establish a robust regulatory framework that will play the role of a standard-setter and regulator for the allied and healthcare professions. The total cost implication of the bill’s implementation is expected to be Rs 95 crores for the first four years. 15. The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Satya Pal Malik dissolved the State Assembly after rival alliances staked claim to form the government. The Governor cited four main reasons for dissolving the Assembly and these include horse-trading and possible exchange of money and the impossibility of forming a stable government by parties with opposing political ideologies. 16. Gujarat government on November 20, 2018 launched a Rs 351-crore project for the conservation of the Gir lions. The project is launched in the backdrop of the Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) outbreak that claimed 23 Asiatic lions lives. 17. The International Cricketwww.lawprep.in Council on November 26, 2018 submitted its bid for the inclusion of T20 women's cricket in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The bid was made in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Cricket has made just one appearance at the Games previously, with men playing in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur. 18. Union Government has included Gangotri and Yamunotri in Uttrarakhand, Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh and Parasnath in Jharkhand under Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) to develop pilgrimage and heritage destinations in the country. With the new additions, the number of sites under PRASAD has now reached to 41 in 25 states. 19. The 25th Edition of SIMBEX [Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise] was held from November 10th to 21st at Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. 20. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) launches new Offshore patrol vessel (OPV) ICGS Varaha at L&T Kattupalli shipyard near Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

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21. The first joint military exercise named “Dharma Guardian” between India and Japan has begun at Indian Army’s Counter-Insurgency Warfare School at Vairengte, Mizoram. 22. The researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have designed India’s first indigenous microprocessor called ‘Shakti’. 23. NASA has retired Kepler space telescope after it ran out of fuel needed for further science operations bringing its working to a halt after nine and a half years (launched in 2009). 24. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved strategic disinvestment of 100% Government of India’s shares in Dredging Corporation of India Limited (DCIL). 25. According to research firm Canalys, India has overtaken US to become the second largest smartphone market in the July-September 2018 quarter. India observed consignment of 40.4 million units during 3rd quarter, a little above that of US i.e. 40 million units. Only China was above India where 100.6 million smartphones were shipped. 26. Union Cabinet has approved a proposal to promulgate an ordinance to amend the Companies Act, 2013. The ordinance to change Companies Act seeks to unclog National Company Law Tribunals (NCLTs) and decriminalise minor offences by companies. 27. Ease of Doing Business index was released by the World Bank, with New Zealand topping the list consecutively for the 3rd time. India was ranked 77th. 28. United States has exempted India from imposition of certain sanctions for development of strategically-located Chabahar port in Iran, along with construction of Railway line connecting it with Afghanistan. 29. United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group have formed strategic partnership to support efforts eliminate hunger. The agreement was signed in Hangzhou, China. 30. Induslnd Bank has recently launched the India’s first interactive credit card with buttons called the IndusInd Bank Nexxt Credit Card. The card provids customers with the flexibility of 3 payment options at a Point of Sale (POS) terminal – credit, converting transactions into EMIs with 4 tenure options (6, 12, 18 and 24 months) or using accumulated reward points, by simply pushing a button on the card. 31. The Maldives cabinet has approved the proposal to rejoin the Commonwealth, two years after withdrawing from the 53-nation grouping. The announcement was made by the nation’s newly inaugurated President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on November 19. The country had left the Commonwealth during former President Abdulla Yameen's administration in October 2016. 32. The Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD) is observed every year on 27th of November to motivate normal human beings to pledge to donate organs after death and to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation. In 2018, the 9th IODD was organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) in Delhi. 33. The National Milk Day (NMD) is celebrated every year on November 26 to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the father of India’s White Revolution. Dr Kurien was the architect of Operation Flood, the programme which led India from being 50th in the world in terms of milk production to become the largest producer in just a couple of decades. www.lawprep.in 34. Russia's state space corporation ‘Roscosmos’ has decided to venture into the Internet of things (IoT) with the launch of a new satellite system named ‘Marathon’. As per reports, the new satellite system will be a part of Russia’s Sphere satellite constellation, alongside GLONASS navigation system, alongside GLONASS navigation system, an Earth remote sensing system, a satellite communication system, and a data relay satellite system. The Sphere is expected to be fully established by 2026. 35. The air forces of the United States and India are scheduled to participate in a 12-day long joint exercise Cope India 2019 at two air force stations in West Bengal in December 2018. The exercise focuses on enhancing mutual cooperation between the US and India and building on the existing capabilities, aircrew tactics and force employment 36. The Union Government on November 27, 2018 conferred the ‘Miniratna status: Category –I’ on the National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC). The empowerment of Miniratna Status will help NPCC in taking speedy decisions by enhancing the delegation of powers to the Board.

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37. NASA’s InSight explorer successfully touched down on Mars on November 26, after an almost seven-month journey through deep space. This is the eighth time in human history that NASA has executed a successful landing on the red planet and the first in six years. 38. The 69th Constitution Day was observed across India on November 26, 2018 to mark the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly. The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 and it came into force on January 26, 1950 39. The International Space Station (ISS) turned 20 years old on November 20, 2018. The project was kicked by Russian space agency Roscosmos when it launched its Zarya module from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on November 20, 1998. 40. The United States has suspended its 1.66 billion dollar security assistance to Pakistan. The decision has been taken on the directions of President Donald Trump. Pakistan has taken no serious steps to address the core US concern that Pakistan often encourages groups that use violence against its neighbours. 41. The Universal Children’s Day (UCD) is observed every year on 20th of November across the world to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare. The 2018 theme is ‘Children are taking over and turning the world blue’. The day was established in 1954, offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for Children. 42. The Sulabh International has launched India’s first sewer cleaning machine to put an end to the unsafe manual scavenging and to reduce sewer deaths. The machine will do away with 99% of manual scavenging in the country. With the help of sewer cleaning machine, a safai karamchari" (manual cleaner) won't have to enter the sewers. 43. The United Nations Security Council on November 15, 2018 unanimously agreed to lift sanctions against Eritrea after nine years. An arms embargo, asset freeze, and travel ban were imposed in 2009 amid claims that Eritrea supported al-Shabab militants in Somalia. However, Eritrea has always denied the accusations. 44. The joint military exercise between India and Russia, ‘INDRA 2018’ on combating insurgency under the aegis of United Nations began on November 18 in India. The training exercise spanning across eleven days will see participation from company-sized contingents of the 5th Army of the Russian Federation and a Mechanised Infantry Battalion of India. 45. The Public Service Broadcasting Day was observed across India on November 12, 2018. The day is observed every year to commemorate the first and last visit of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947. 46. The 33rd edition of the ASEAN Summit began on November 11, 2018 at Suntec Singapore Convention Centre, Singapore. The opening ceremony of the summit will take place on November 13, 2018. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, is the Chairman of this year’s Summit. 47. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 5, 2018 announced that India’s first indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant has successfully completed its “first deterrence patrol", which signifies the underwater warship, has undertaken its maidenwww.lawprep.in long-range mission with "live" nuclear-tipped missiles. 48. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched country’s first advance earth observation satellite Hyper Spectral Imaging Satelli te Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS) along with 30 other satellites from eight countries. These satellites were launched on board of ISRO’s workhorse PSLV-C43 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. 49. Veteran actor Anupam Kher has resigned as Chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). He was appointed as Chairman of FTII in October 2017 and had replaced Gajendra Chauhan. With this, Kher became first chairperson of FTII to resign before completion of his full term. 50. The Maharashtra state cabinet cleared the decks for the Navy’s longest-serving aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, now retired, to be converted into India’s first-ever moored maritime museum-cum-marine adventure centre.

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Key to Crossword - 0027

Note: Twenty Six entries received in time of which three entries are entirely correct. 1.Midhula G(GVA171907) 2.Sahil Bohra(GVA182085) 3.Venkata Sai Deepak Reddy(GVA171926) From December 2018 onwards,www.lawprep.in the Crossword will not be included in the Newsboard, and will be shared with you through a different medium. We will keep you posted regarding the same!

News Contributors Ram Dheeraj Appasani NALSAR(Hyderabad) Ajay Kranthi- NALSAR(Hyderabad) Newsboard Developed by - Lavanya Bompally (Bonsagar Publications)

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