TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. National Affairs 2. Economy and Finance 3. Science and Technology 4. Environment and Ecology 5. International Affairs, Bilateral Issues and Geopolitics 6. Miscellaneous Quick Revision For Prelims 2018 - Current Affairs From Jun to Nov 2017 Page 1 NATIONAL AFFAIRS ➢ Reliance Jio Infocomm Launches Asia-Africa-Europe (AAE-1) Submarine Cable System • A submarine cable system consists of telecom and internet cables on the seabed between land- based stations. These carry telecommunication and data signals across stretches of oceans. • AAE-1, the longest 100 Gbps (gigabits per second) technology-based submarine system, will stretch over 25,000 km from Marseille, France, to Hong Kong, with 21 cable landings across Asia and Europe. ➢ Government Launches Index To Rank 116 Cities On Quality Of Life • The first ‘City Liveability Index’, will cover cities with population above one million, including the capital cities, a total of 116 cities to be covered. • The cities will be assessed on a comprehensive set of 79 parameters, including availability of roads, education, healthcare, mobility, employment opportunities, emergency response, grievance redressal, pollution, availability of open and green spaces, cultural and entertainment opportunities. • The ranking will be released in 2018. ➢ West Bengal Govt's Kanyashree Scheme Bags UN Award The United Nations has awarded the West Bengal government the first place for Public Service for its “Kanyashree” scheme. The “Kanyashree Prakalpa” is a targeted conditional cash transfer scheme aimed at retaining girls in schools and other educational institutions. It also aims towards skill development and prevent child marriage. Over 4 million adolescent girls have already enrolled in the scheme and about $ 500 million handed over to the beneficiaries through their bank account. The scheme is being implemented through 16000 institutes and schools. ➢ POSOCO-IMD Weather Portal for Power Sector & Web Portal ‘MERIT’ • The information available in the Portal regarding weather forecast shall help State Discoms to take pro-active steps regarding short term and medium term management processes and supply planning requirements and also for better planning for infrastructure availability to ensure cost effective and reliable supply. • The Portal provides the following information: Regional Weather Summary, Radar, Satellite Images, Meteogram, Region Specific Forecast. • Another portal ‘MERIT’ (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency). This has been developed by Ministry of Power in association with POSOCO and Central Electricity Authority. The MERIT Web portal displays extensive array of information regarding the merit order of Electricity procured by State(s) such as daily state-wise marginal variable costs of all generators, daily source-wise power purchases of respective states/UTs with source-wise fixed and variable costs, energy volumes and purchase prices. The web-portal also give Quick Revision For Prelims 2018 - Current Affairs From Jun to Nov 2017 Page 2 information regarding reasons for deviation from merit order such as must run conditions, transmission constraints etc. ➢ VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty) Scheme • The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has recently launched a ‘Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Scheme’ to connect the Indian academic and research and development (R&D) systems to the best of global science and scientists for a sustained international collaborative research. • The scheme offers adjunct / visiting faculty assignments to overseas scientists, faculty members and R&D professionals including Non-resident Indians (NRI) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) to undertake high quality collaborative research in cutting edge areas of science and technology including interdisciplinary areas of priority such as energy, water, health, security, nutrition, materials and manufacturing, etc. • The residency period of VAJRA Faculty in the host institution would be for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months every year. ➢ Pune Municipality Became The First Civic Body In The Country To Raise Money By Issuing Bonds On Bombay Stock Exchange • The municipal body raised Rs 200 crore through BSE's bond trading platform and was oversubscribed by six times -approximately Rs 1,200 crore. • This also marked the re-entry of municipal bonds after 14 years, which is being seen as the beginning of resurgence in the municipal bond market in India. • Over-subscription of PMC's bonds is also being seen as a positive sign considering that only Rs 1,100 crore has been raised through bonds in the past three decade. ➢ Uttarakhand And Haryana Declared 4th And 5th ODF States In The Country • Under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), rural Uttarakhand and rural Haryana have declared themselves as the 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free (ODF) States of India. • The two today joined the league of Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, which were the first three states to be declared ODF. The objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission include eliminating open defecation through the construction of household-owned and community-owned toilets and establishing an accountable mechanism of monitoring toilet use. Run by the Government of India, the mission aims to achieve an Open-Defecation Free (ODF) India by 2 October 2019, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi. It has two sub-Missions viz. Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). While rural mission is under the purview of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation; the urban mission comes under Ministry of Urban Development. Quick Revision For Prelims 2018 - Current Affairs From Jun to Nov 2017 Page 3 ➢ Operation Swarn: Rajdhani & Shatabdi Trains to Get a Massive Makeover • The Project will focus on 10 key areas, including punctuality, cleanliness, linen, coach interiors, toilets, catering, staff behaviour, security, entertainment, housekeeping and regular feedback. • An amount of Rs 50 lakh will be allotted to each Rajdhani and Shatabdi train on various routes for the revamp. • The plan is reported to be upgraded with better facilities like Wi-Fi, infotainment screens (that were first provided in Tejas Express) and coffee vending machine. ➢ IOC, BPCL, HPCL Sign Agreements To Set World's Largest Refinery In Maharashtra • The Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum have signed the joint venture agreement to jointly set up the world's largest refinery and petrochemical complex in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. • Indian Oil Corp (IOC) will hold 50 per cent stake, BPCL and HPCL will have 25 percent stake each. • The new refinery complex will have a refining capacity of 60 million tonnes. The refinery will produce petrol, diesel, LPG, ATF and feedstock for making petrochemicals. The complex will also have an accompanying mega petrochemical plant which will include an aromatic complex, naptha cracker, and polymer complex. • India is world's third largest consumer of energy after US and China. However, the per-capita energy consumption in the country is one-fourth of the world average. ➢ NITI Aayog Clears Six Proposals For High-Tech Public Transport • The Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways sought the approval of NITI Aayog to experiment and introduce six latest mass rapid transportation technologies. These technologies include metrino, stadler buses, hyperloop, pod taxis, hybrid buses and freight rail road. + ➢ Cabinet Approves Bill To Make IIMs Autonomous Quick Revision For Prelims 2018 - Current Affairs From Jun to Nov 2017 Page 4 • The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bill, 2017 that aims to grant “complete autonomy” to the elite B-schools and allow them to award degrees instead of diplomas, as is the case now. ➢ Union Cabinet Clears Minimum Wage Code Bill • New Wage Code Bill will ensure a minimum wage across all sectors by integrating four labour related laws. • The Labour Code on Wages Bill will consolidate the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Payment of Wages Act, 1936; the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. • The new minimum wage norms would be applicable for all workers irrespective of their pay. At present, the minimum wages fixed by the Centre and states are applicable to workers getting up to Rs 18,000 pay monthly. ➢ Ministry Of Rural Development To Launch Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana • The Ministry of Rural Development launched a new sub-scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) which will be named as “Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY)”. • The main objectives of AGEY are to provide an alternative source of livelihoods to members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM by facilitating them to operate public transport services in backward rural areas. • This will provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services like e-rickshaws, 3 and 4 wheeler motorised transport vehicles to connect remote villages with key services and amenities including access to markets, education and health for the overall economic development of the area. • The programme has a special focus on women empowerment including a dedicated component for promoting farm and non-farm based livelihoods for women farmers in rural areas ➢ Bicentenary Celebration of Paika Rebellion of Odisha • The Paika Bidroha (Paika Rebellion)