current affairs today 8th November 2017 - ALL ABOUT UPSC CIVIL SERVICE EXAM

Wednesday, 8 November 2017

current affairs today 8th November 2017

8th November 2017 (Today's current affairs)

National

  • Nagaland is set to host ‘Hornbill Festival’ with the main motive to promote the ‘plastic-free’ mission all around.
  • India pledged an additional 100 million US Dollar towards the UN partnership fund, significantly scaling up it support to sustainable development projects across the developing world.
  • Gujarat state is considered as one of the best models that have provided employment, economy, infrastructure and law and order to the state. It has been chosen for the ‘Best City Bus Services Award’ by the Central government.
  • The State Government is on the ‘No load shedding mission’ for the orange city and its rural areas.
  • Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the 9th edition of Agrovision, Central India’s biggest agriculture summit scheduled from10-13 November at Reshimbagh Ground.
  • HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar envisaged Operation Digital Blackboard in every school in the next few years.
  • The India Pavilion at Conference of Parties (COP) 23 was inaugurated by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan at Bonn in Germany.

  • Indian Railways launched the main arch of the world’s highest bridge on the river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district which will provide direct connectivity to the Kashmir valley.
  • ‘SAMPRITI 2017’, the seventh edition of Indo-Bangladesh joint military training exercise begun in Meghalaya.
  • ‘SAMPRITI 2017’, the seventh edition of Indo-Bangladesh joint military training exercise begun in Meghalaya.
  • A two-day conference of Ministers for Power and New & Renewable Energy of States & Union Territories will be held in Rajgir, Bihar, on 10th and 11th of November, 2017.
  • Airports Authority of India has replaced the existing Instrument Landing System (ILS) for runway 07 at Chennai International airport at a cost of Rs. 5.0 Crores.

International


  • Microsoft as a joint developer, an AI character was made an official resident of a busy central Tokyo district in Japan.

Banking and Business

  • HSBC Bank pledged to provide $100 billion in financing and investment by 2025 to help combat climate change.

Sports and Entertainment

  • Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom entered the final of Asian Women’s Boxing Championships at Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
  • The Indian shooting contingent finished the Commonwealth Shooting Championship 2017 with the best tally of 20 medals.
  • Shiv Kapur clinched his first Asian Tour title in India, bagging the Panasonic Open by three strokes, after bringing home a card of four-under 68 in the fourth and final round at the Delhi Golf Club.

Other

  • Revelations made in the media under the name ‘Paradise Papers’ [based upon expose done by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)] indicate that out of 180 countries represented in the data of offshore entities held by persons of different nationalities, India ranks 19th in terms of a number of names
  • Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia has been designated as the new Finance Secretary.
  • Surat Municipal Corporation has been chosen for the ‘Best City Bus Services Award’ by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for succeeding in attracting 87% of the private vehicle and auto rickshaw users to use city buses.

  • New type of atomic bond discovered
    • Scientists have for the first time observed a weak atomic bond – in which an electron can grab and trap an atom – that was theorised 14 years ago.
    • Newly discovered Rydberg molecules are formed when an electron is kicked far from an atom’s nucleus.
    • The researchers found and saw the molecule by cooling Rubidium gas to 100 nano-Kelvin, about one ten-millionth of a degree above absolute zero.
  • Japan Ratifies Paris Agreement
    • Japan today ratified the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement to cut emissions and prevent climate change, 4 days after the global pact officially entered into force.
    • The agreement seeks to wean the world economy off fossil fuels in the second half of the century.
    • The agreement also aims to limit the rise in average world temperatures to “well below” 2.0 degrees Celsius.
  • COP7 meet kicks off amidst protests
    • The seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) began amidst controversy in New Delhi on Monday.
    • Nearly 500 farmers from tobacco growing countries were detained by the police for protesting outside the conference venue, which is hosting over 1,500 delegates from 180 countries in the world.
    • India will be pushing for stricter control on smokeless tobacco.
  • America goes to polls today
    • The 2016 elections for US President are set to go off on Tuesday.
    • Thirty-seven million Americans have already voted, and between 70 and 80 million are expected to vote on Tuesday.
    • The final results are expected by 11 pm Eastern Time in U.S, which will be IST 9.30 am on Wednesday.
    • Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the two major contestants this year.
  • Rishabh hits fastest 100 in first class
    • Delhi’s young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant hit fastest ever 100 in Indian first class cricket.
    • Pant eclipsed a 28-year old record set by former Tamil Nadu opener VB Chandrasekhar, who reached the three-figure mark in 56 balls against Rest of India.
    • He was not picked for India A’s tour of Australia this season and said that it acted as a trigger to score tons of runs this season.
  • South Asian satellite to launch in 2017
    • India’s ambitious South Asian satellite, proposed by PM Narendra Modi for the benefit of SAARC members, will be launched in March 2017.
    • The satellite was originally scheduled for launch by ISRO in December 2016.
    • Modi, during the SAARC summit in 2014, had announced launching of a SAARC satellite as a gift for members of the regional grouping in various fields like telecommunication.
  • I&B puts ban on NDTV on hold
    • The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Monday put on hold its decision to take NDTV India off air for a day on November 9.
    • NDTV moved Supreme Court, challenging the Ministry’s decision to ban NDTV India for a day for  revealing “strategically sensitive information”.
    • The ban was imposed for its coverage of anti-terror operations at the Pathankot airbase earlier this year.
  • Pakistan summons India’s Officials
    • Pakistan has again summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner and lodged a strong protest over alleged “unprovoked” firing by Indian forces along the LoC.
    • Deputy High Commissioner has also been summoned to the Foreign Office over ceasefire violations on October 25, 26, 28 and November 1.
    • Gautam Bambawle is the present high commissioner of India to Pakistan.
  • Ortega wins third term in Nicaragua
    • Nicaragua’s leftist President Daniel Ortega has won a third straight term, with his  wife Rosario Murillo as vice president.
    • With 99.8% of ballots counted, the 70-year-old former Marxist rebel had 72.5% of the vote.
    • Ortega, who has ruled Nicaragua for 20 of the past 37 years, has been accused of using the courts to limit the power of the opposition.
  • Police close FCRA case against IRF
    • Police has closed the case against the Islamic Research Foundation with no complaints of cheating or duping of funds so far.
    • A probe was ordered by the Maharashtra Government after reports appeared of two terrorists in the July Dhaka bombings being inspired by Naik.
    • Home Department has launched the process of cancelling its registration under the FCRA act by issuing a notice to the NGO.
  • BCCI moves SC for funds for Test cricket
    • BCCI has moved the SC seeking disbursal of funds for conducting the first Test between India and England which is scheduled to start from Wednesday.
    • The apex court bench said that it will consult the Chief Justice of India on the matter.
    • The board has been barred by the Supreme Court interim order to enter into any fresh contracts without the consent of the Lodha committee.
  • India slams UNSC on Masood Azhar
    • India has strongly criticized the United Nations Security Council(UNSC) for taking months to consider sanctioning leaders of groups it has itself designated as terror entities.
    • This is in reference to the “technical hold” on India’s bid to get JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN.
    • The criticism was led by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN ambassador Syed Akbaruddin.
  • DU professor Nandini Sundar booked
    • DU professor and rights activist Nandini Sundar and 10 others have been booked for the murder of a tribal in Sukma, Chhattisgarh.
    • Armed Maoists had earlier killed Shamnath Baghel with sharp weapons late Friday at his home in Nama village.
    • It was on Sundar’s petition that the SC in 2011 ordered the disbanding of Salwa Judum, a state-backed militia formed to take on the Maoists in the state.
  • Kerala Govt. Ditches Predecessor’s Take
    • Kerala govt. has told SC that women of all ages should be allowed into the famous Sabarimala shrine of Kerala.
    • For centuries, women between 10 and 50 years have not been allowed in Sabarimala, a hilltop shrine that is among the most prominent of Kerala temples.
    • The current LDF govt. has reversed the stand of the previous Congress-led government.
  • Won’t impose Yoga on anyone, Says SC
    • The SC has said that it would not impose yoga on anyone.
    • Top court has refused to entertain a PIL seeking to make the ancient practice mandatory in the school curriculum.
    • The decision was taken by a bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur, Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice L N Rao.
    • The petition was filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyaya.
  • MCA rejects ‘One State One Vote’ reform
    • Mumbai Cricket Association in a Special General meeting has rejected the suggested reform of ‘One state one vote’ by Lodha panel report.
    • As a result of the suggested, MCA will lose their voting rights to Maharashtra as the state will have their voting rights.
    • MCA President Pawar, already 75, and Vice-President Ashish Shelar, an MLA, would become ineligible, once the SC order is implemented.
  • Two US astronauts cast vote from space
    • As US gets ready for a nail-biting election on Tuesday, two astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Kate Rubins, have already cast their votes from space.
    • ‘Space voting’ was first used the same year it was implemented in 1997.
    • For astronauts, the voting process starts a year before launch when they are able to select which elections (local/state/federal) they want to participate in while in space.
  • OVL to Provide $318 Million to Venezuela
    • ONGC Videsh Ltd will provide $318 million financing to help raise output at a Venezuelan oilfield.
    • Venezuela has signed a pact to supply 17,000 barrels per day of crude oil to India to clear past dues.
    • Venezuela is India’s fourth largest source of crude oil, supplying some 23.6 million tonnes or 12% of the country’s annual import in 2015-16.
  • India’s gold demand falls to 7 year low
    • India’s gold demand could fall to 24% in 2016 to the lowest level in 7 years due to higher prices and increased smuggling.
    • India’s gold demand in the first 3 quarters of 2016 fell 29 percent from a year ago to 441.2 tonnes.
    • The quarter ending in December typically accounts for about a third of India’s gold sales.
    • It includes the start of the wedding season and festivals like Diwali,.
  • Gandhi’s grandson Kanubhai dies at 87
    • Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Kanubhai Gandhi passed away on Monday following a heart attack.
    • Kanubhai was the son of Mahatma’s third son Ramdas Gandhi and was living along with his wife Shivalaxmi.
    • A graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Kanubhai also worked with the US Defense Department on the wing structure of fighter aircraft.

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