18th November 2016 Important Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs of 18th November 2016

International Current Affairs

The US, Canada, Germany and Mexico unveiled their long-term plans to switch from polluting to clean energy sources at the UN climate talks this week.
- Germany displayed sector-by-sector scenarios pledging to remove up to 95% of its CO2 emissions, while the three North American countries jointly released their blueprints on Wednesday to drastically reduce carbon emissions by 2050.
The upper house of the Bhutan parliament has decided against ratifying the road connectivity plan involving Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN).
- The BBIN agreement was earlier signed in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu in July and will become operational only when all the four countries ratify it.
- Note : India, Bangladesh, and Nepal have already ratified the pact.
Russia and Iran are in talks over a $10 billion (around ₹67,704 crore) arms deal that includes T-90 tanks, Artillery Systems, Planes, and Helicopters.
- Important Points to Note :
- - The military hardware will be delivered to Iran only with consent of the UN Security Council.
  - Earlier, Russia had delivered the S-300 missile defence system to Iran.
Thailand recently celebrated the festival of lights called Loi Krathong, which is celebrated to pay homage to Lord Buddha.
- The main events include releasing sky lanterns and floating krathongs, meaning decorated baskets.
- This year, restrictions on the festivities were observed as the country mourns the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

National Current Affairs

Today is 289th foundation day of Jaipur.
The first cherry blossom festival in India was held this week in Shillong, with Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma inaugurating the event.
The government has more than doubled the compensation for widows and families of soldiers killed while fighting for the country.
- The kin of the soldiers dying at the LoC would get ₹35 lakh as compensation, as compared to ₹15 lakh earlier.
- Note : The revision has been done after over 16 years
Jammu and Kashmir Government has launched Jhelum-Tawi flood recovery project to give push to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure post-2014 floods in the state.
- The project which is funded World Bank was formally launched Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar.

Places in News

Kargil became the coldest town in Jammu and Kashmir as the temperature in the region dropped to minus 9.2 degrees Celsius yesterday's night.
- Kargil is followed by Leh with minus 8.4 degrees Celsius night temperature. The Met department has forecast cold, dry weather across the state during the next 48 hours.

Awards & Honors

Ladakh-based engineer, Sonam Wangchuk, on whom Aamir Khan's character 'Phunsukh Wangdu' was based in the film '3 Idiots', was awarded the 'Rolex Awards for Enterprise 2016' for his 'Ice Stupas' project.
- Aimed at reducing water shortage in high altitudes, the project, which will be supported by the Rolex fund, involves conical ice mounds designed like mini-glaciers to slowly release water.
Actress Priyanka Chopra has been nominated for American awards show, People's Choice Awards for the second time.
- She has been nominated in the 'Favourite Dramatic TV Actress' category for the role of 'Alex Parrish' in the American TV series 'Quantico'.
- Note : Priyanka became the first Indian to win the People's Choice Awards when she won it in 2016.

Science & Technology

The Indian Navy has formally inducted 4 types of indigenously developed sonars that will boost its underwater surveillance capability.
The systems included,
- Abhay - compact hull mounted sonar for shallow water crafts,
- Humsa UG - upgrade for the Humsa sonar system,
- NACS - Near-field Acoustic Characterisation System,
- AIDSS - Advanced Indigenous Distress sonar system for submarines.

Business & Economic Affairs

Sweden is considering a plan to issue a national digital currency 'e-krona' to deal with the falling domestic use of cash.
- Sweden's central bank, Riksbank, has said that the e-krona, which is expected to be issued in two years, will be complementary to cash and that it will not be a replacement.
- Note : Riksbank is the world's oldest central bank.
National Highway projects worth ₹6,068 crores, with a total length of 476 km in 8 different states, were cleared by the Centre's Standing Finance Committee.
- These projects are in the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh
To ease the PAN verification process at the time of account-opening for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), regulator SEBI today announced that the intermediaries can verify the PAN of FPIs online.
- However, FPIs would have to provide a PAN card copy to their intermediaries within 60 days of opening the account or before remitting funds out of India, whichever is earlier.
The government today announced that cash will be dispensed at 2,500 petrol pumps across the country by using credit or debit cards.
- The pumps can dispense ₹2,000 cash per person per day.
- The facility will be extended to over 20,000 more petrol pumps.
- Public sector oil companies, in association with SBI, have launched this initiative.
Over ₹3,900 crore was collected as Swachh Bharat Cess (SBC) in the last financial year, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
- Out of this, 80% proceeds of the cess go to the Drinking Water and Sanitation Ministry, while the remaining 20% to the Urban Development Ministry.
- Note : The government had imposed 0.5% SBC on all taxable services last year.

Sports Current Affairs

Oceans 12, a Tamil refugee cricket team in Australia, won a national semi-pro T20 tournament today.
- Note : Most players in the team had been in immigration detention centres in Australia, having left Sri Lanka due to war and ethnic violence.

This is the end of today's Daily Current Affairs session friends. Good Day :)

18th November 2016 Important Daily Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs of 18th November 2016

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