Current Affairs Daily Digest – November 18 2019
1. Home Ministry launched an awareness campaign to end violence against women
The Ministry of Home Affairs, in association with the UN Women, flagged off an awareness campaign to end violence against women from Sultanpur metro station in Delhi. The initiative is a part of the #OrangeTheWorld global campaign. The 112 India App and the emergency response support system has been developed in-house by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC).
2. World Bank to fund USD 300 million to the West Bengal
World Bank announced that it is to fund $300 million to the West Bengal State government. The announcement was made by the West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra. The fund will be used for the development of logistics infrastructure within the city metropolitan area.
World Bank submitted a master plan to the state on logistics infrastructure in and around the Kolkata metropolitan area. It has also expressed its interest in a review of industrial parks, logistics hubs, and SEZs. It aims to improve logistics competitiveness, employment generation, and ease of doing business.
3. Indian Army conducts Sindhu Sudarshan exercise in Barmer, Rajasthan
The Strike Corps (also known as Sudarshan Chakra Corps) of Indian Army is conducting the annually held exercise, dubbed Sindu Sudarshan-VII, in Barmer, Rajasthan. The annual exercise will test the operational readiness and maneuver warfare capability of Indian Army’s 21 Corps, one of the service’s three so-called Strike Corps. The Corps currently consists of 2 infantry divisions, 1 armored division, and 3 support brigades.
4. Report: India-2nd largest in sending students to US
On November 18, 2019, the “2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange” was released. According to the report, India remained the largest source of foreign students to the US for the 10th consecutive year. This year alone, India has sent around 202,000 students to the US. It is the second largest number of foreign students from a country to the US. The first largest source is China.
5. Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan sworn in as 13th Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court
Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan was sworn in as the 13th Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court. He was administered oath to office and secrecy under Article 219 of Constitution by Governor Draupadi Murmu at the Raj Bhavan in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi. The post of Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court was lying vacant since early May 2019 after the elevation of former Jharkhand HC Chief Justice Aniruddha Bose to the Supreme Court.
6. Harmeet Desai wins men’s singles title at ITTF Challenge Table Tennis tournament
Indian paddler Harmeet Desai won wins men’s singles title at International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Challenge Indonesia Open 2019 Table Tennis tournament held at Batam, Indonesia. This was Harmeet’s first title on foreign soil and overall second International title of the year, after he had won Commonwealth championship in July 2019 held in Cuttack, Odisha.
7. India to sign over $7 billion defence deal with US to procure combat drones, spy aircraft
India is close to inking a defence deal with the US for the procurement of Sea Guardian armed drones and P-8I anti-submarine warfare and surveillance aircraft. The deal is valued at over $7 billion.
“Indian Navy, Air Force, and Army are coordinating their requirements and specifications for the acquisition of these Sea Guardian armed drones from the US under the FMS route,” Defence sources told India Today TV.
8. Gotabaya Rajapaksa sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new president
Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sworn in as the Sri Lankan president a day after he was declared the winner in the closely fought election in the South Asian island nation.
Rajapaksa, who is the first retired military officer to assume the top office, appealed to minority Tamils and Muslims – who form about 20 percent of Sri Lanka’s 22 million population – to rally around him.
9. 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus to be held in Thailand tomorrow
The 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with 17 other Defence Ministers of ADMM-Plus countries will attend the meeting.
10. Sarita elected as member of AIBA athletes’ commission
India’s boxing ace, Laishram Sarita Devi, has been elected unopposed as a member of the first-ever international boxing body (AIBA) athletes’ commission.
In a letter, the AIBA’s interim president, Mohamed Moustahsane, has officially informed the top Indian women boxer about her inclusion in the prestigious panel. “I am confident that with your knowledge and experience, you will be an important contributor to the activities of the Commission,” Moustahsane wrote in his letter.
11. Indian women clinch five gold medals in Asian Youth Boxing C’ship
Indian women have clinched five gold, while men bagged two silver at Asian Youth Boxing Championship in Mongolia. All five women finalists, Naorem Chanu (51kg), Vinka (64kg) Sanamacha Chanu (75kg), Poonam (54kg) and Sushma (81kg) won Gold for the country in a phenomenal sweep.
12. Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Dominic Thiem to win ATP Finals title
A nerveless Stefanos Tsitsipas came from a set down to beat Dominic Thiem on a thrilling final-set tie-break and become the youngest winner of the ATP Finals in 18 years.,The Greek, 21, won 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to claim the biggest title of his fledgling career.
13. Panasonic Open Golf Championship: South Korean teenager Joohyung Kim snatches title at smog-hit event
Korean teenager Joohyung Kim became the second-youngest winner on the Asian Tour when he won the shortened Panasonic Open in India by one stroke ahead of local challengers Shiv Kapur and Chikkarangappa S.
The 17-year-old, who was making just his third start on the Tour this year, fired a seven-under-par 65 in the third and final round at the 54-hole, $400,000 tournament in Gurgaon near New Delhi to clinch the title.
