Latest Current Affairs – November 11 2018
1. Union Minister Ananth Kumar passes away aged 59 in Bengaluru
Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ananth Kumar passed away aged 59 in Bengaluru. The Parliamentary Affairs, and Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister was suffering from cancer and had come back from the US in October after treatment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled his death, saying, “Extremely saddened…He will always be remembered for his good work.”
2. IITians develop app to prevent deaths while taking selfies
A team from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar has developed an artificial intelligence-based app ‘Garuda’ to prevent deaths while taking selfies. The team collected 11,000 images labelled for different levels of danger and embedded them in the app’s deep learning module. It works by analysing the environment around the smartphone and sends alerts to users in cases of danger.
3. NASA finds Antarctic iceberg 3 times the size of Manhattan
NASA’s Operation IceBridge has discovered an iceberg that is three times the size of Manhattan in Antarctica. Named B-46, it is believed to measure 226 square km, according to estimates from the US National Ice Centre. However, the satellite imagery showed that the main iceberg may not last long and is already beginning to break up, NASA said.
4. ISRO invites international payloads for 2023 Venus mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has invited international proposals for scientific payloads for its second interplanetary mission to Venus in mid-2023. India will send 12 scientific payloads aboard the satellite, including a thermal camera, mass spectrometer and cloud monitoring camera. The final spacecraft is likely to have a payload capacity of close to 100 kg, according to ISRO.
5. Kento Momota won badminton’s Fuzhou China Open
World champion Kento Momota won badminton’s Fuzhou China Open to add another title to his already spectacular season. Japan’s world number one survived a spirited challenge from Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, defeating the fourth seed 21-13, 11-21, 21-16 in 66 minutes.
6. With 5462 beds, Patna Medical College to be world’s largest hospital
The Bihar cabinet gave its nod for the redevelopment of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) into a world’s largest 5462-bed hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 5540.07 crore.
The hospital would be redeveloped by Bihar Medical Services & Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (BMSICL). The PMCH was established in 1925. The hospital would be redeveloped in three phases in seven years. The new PMCH will have 250 MBBS seats against the existing 150, and 200 PG seats against the existing 146.
7. India to start exporting raw sugar to China from early 2019
India is the largest producer of sugar in the world with 32 million tonnes of production in 2018. It produces sugar of all three grades- raw, refined and white. Indian sugar is also of a high quality and is Dextran free because of the minimum time taken from cut to crush.
8. UN World Food Programme, Alibaba Group form strategic partnership to eliminate hunger
The agreement was signed between United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley and Chairman of Alibaba Foundation Sun Lijun at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China, to support efforts eliminate hunger globally by 2030.
World Food Programme is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations, established in 1961 after 1960 Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Conference. It is headquartered in Rome (Italy).
9. Gujarat to introduce new digital platform for Agriculture land
Gujarat government decided to launch a digital platform for the conversion of agricultural land to Non-Agriculture (NA). Under the scheme of Digital India, all district collector offices and District Panchayats will be covered and monitored through a dedicated online system.
10. ‘Mere Pyaare Prime Minister’ only Asian film screened at Rome Film Festival
Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s upcoming film ‘Mere Pyaare Prime Minister’ was the only Asian film which was screened at the Rome Film Festival. The film revolves around four children living in a Mumbai slum. One of them wants to build a toilet for his single mother and makes an appeal to the Prime Minister.
