Current Affairs 18 November, 2019

Nancy

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1. Justice R Banumathi joins collegium as Gogoi demits office

Justice R Banumathi, in the news recently for dealing with P Chidambaram’s bail plea, will be the first woman judge in more than 13 years to be inducted into the Supreme Court collegium.
She will replace outgoing chief justice Ranjan Gogoi. Ruma Pal was the last woman member of the collegium.
SA Bobde will be sworn in as the chief justice of India succeeding Gogoi. Banumathi’s induction will also take place. As part of the collegium, she will have a say in all appointments to the top court, which has only had eight woman judges since Independence.

2. Rajya Sabha hits new milestone as 250th session begins

History was made when the Rajya Sabha convened for its winter session. It was the upper House’s 250th session and came 67 years after its first sitting on May 13, 1952.
With the landmark 250th session of Rajya Sabha commencing chairman M Venkaiah Naidu released a publication on a day earlier that commemorated the upper House's journey since its first sitting barely five years after India's independence from the British colonial rule.
Through the course of its 67-year existence, the upper House has passed 3,924 bills, discarded many, and expelled three MPs, and overseen the only impeachment proceedings in India’s Parliamentary history.

Foot Notes:
About Rajya Sabha
Chairperson: Venkaiah Naidu
Seats: 245 (233 Elected + 12 Nominated)
Founded: 3 April 1952

3. A three-day naval exercise, Za’ir-Al-Bahr (Roar of the Sea) is being conducted between between the Indian and Qatar Naval Forces.

A three-day naval exercise, Za’ir-Al-Bahr (Roar of the Sea) is being conducted between November 17 and November 21, 2019 between the Indian and Qatar Naval Forces.
The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability between the naval forces. The exercise is being held for the first time.
The first diplomatic defense agreement between India and Qatar was signed in 2008. According to the agreement the countries permit annual defense training. However, an exercise between the countries is being conducted for the first time.

About Qatar
Capital: Doha
Currency: Qatari riyal
Prime Minister: Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani

4. Veteran actors Sridevi and Rekha were conferred with the ANR National Award for 2018 and 2019

The veteran actors Sridevi and Rekha were conferred with the Akkineni Nageswara Rao National Award for 2018 and 2019 respectively.
The award was presented by renowned Telugu actor Chiranjeevi.
The award is instituted by the Akkineni International Foundation and honours those who have made a lasting impact on Indian cinema.

5. Gotabaya Rajapaksa wins Sri Lanka presidential election

Sri Lanka's former wartime defence chief Gotabaya Rajapaksa has won the Sri Lankan presidential elections with 52.25% votes.
Rajapaksa, who oversaw the military defeat of Tamil separatists under his brother and then president Mahinda Rajapaksa 10 years ago, has promised strong leadership to secure the island of 22 million people, the majority of whom are Sinhalese Buddhists.
With half the votes counted, Rajapaksa led with 50.7 percent, while his main rival Sajith Premadasa had 43.8 percent, the election commission said. Rajapaksa's party claimed victory.

Foot Notes:
About Sri Lanka
President: Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Currency: Sri Lankan rupee

6. Union Minister Smriti Irani and Bill Gates launch Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh

Union Minister of Women and Child Development (WCD) and Textiles, Smriti Irani, along with Bill Gates, co-chair of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, launched the Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh (BPKK) here on Monday. A press note from the WCD Ministry said, "The BPKK will be a repository of diverse crops across 128 agro-climatic zones in India for better nutritional outcomes."
"The government has created a separate Ministry of Jal Shakti which is now working on providing clean drinking water to every household in the country," she said adding in September this year Poshan Maah was celebrated and in one month 36 million Poshan related activities were held across the country," she said.
The minister further said that the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana Scheme (PMMVY) has reached out to 10 million beneficiaries by compensating for wage losses and since 2013 maternal mortality rate has come down by 26.9 percent.

7. Sarita Devi elected as member of AIBA athletes commission

Laishram Sarita Devi (Manipur) is among the 6 boxers from 5 continents who were elected as members of AIBA Athletes Commission.
She was inspired by Muhammad Ali’s achievements and turned professional in boxing in the year 2000. She is DSP in Manipur Police.
The election of the Athletes Commission members was organized during AIBA Men and Women World Boxing Championships 2019 in Russia. Boxers from all over the world voted for new members – one per continent, except Europe which has two representatives.

Foot Notes:
About International Boxing Association
Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.

8. Pakistan successfully conducts test launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missile

Pakistan conducted a successful test launch of a surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of delivering all types of warheads up to 650 km, the military announced.
According to a press release issued by the media wing of Pakistani military, the launch of Shaheen-I missile was held as part of a training exercise "aimed at testing the operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command".
The Shaheen-1 missile is capable of delivering all types of warheads up to range of 650 KMs, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) ."The launch was aimed at testing operational readiness of Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) ensuring Pakistan's credible minimum deterrence,".

Foot Notes:
About Pakistan
President: Arif Alvi
Capital: Islamabad
Currency: Pakistani rupee
Prime minister: Imran Khan

9. India extends Visa-on-Arrival facility to UAE nationals

The Centre has extended the Visa-on-Arrival facility to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationals travelling to India in a bid to strengthen people-to-people and trade links, as well as the strategic ties between the two countries, Indian embassy.
"The government of India has decided to extend the Visa-on-Arrival facility to nationals of the United Arab Emirates. This facility is aimed at further strengthening people to people and trade links as well as strategic ties between the two countries," the embassy said in a statement.
However, the visa will be available to only those nationals who have earlier obtained an e-visa or a normal paper Visa for India, irrespective of whether the person actually visited India or not.

Foot Notes:
About UAE
President: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Currency: United Arab Emirates dirham

10. NITI Aayog released a report on “Health Systems for a New India

On November 18, 2019, NITI Aayog released a report on “Health Systems for a New India: Building Blocks-Potential Pathways to reforms”. The report provides a framework to build a rigid health system for India.
The financing structure of the health care system in the country has to be changed. The out-of-pocket expenditure should be reduced and the spending should be directed towards purchasing capabilities.
The financing structure of the health care system in the country has to be changed. The out-of-pocket expenditure should be reduced and the spending should be directed towards purchasing capabilities. It suggests to extend the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the cashless insurance scheme to cover entire country. The scheme is now focusing on 10 crore poor families.