Current Affairs Daily Digest – November 28 2019
1. Researchers discovered a massive black hole in the Milky Way
Researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of China have discovered a black hole in the Milky Way. The black hole is so huge that it challenged the existing models of the evolution of stars. The black hole was discovered by an international team of scientists using China’s sophisticated Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) telescope.
2. Cabinet approved the 2019 Arms Act Amendment Bill
Union Cabinet approved the amendment of the old Arms Act on 27 November 2019. The amendment prohibits individuals, with few exceptions, from possessing more than one gun, down from three now.
3. Cabinet approves loan waiver of worth Rs.4 Cr against Sikkim Mining Corporation
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved waiver of repayment of loan and interest thereon, of nearly worth Rs.4 crore outstanding against Sikkim Mining Corporation (SMC) including interest accrued on total amount from 1 April 2019, till this approval outstanding against SMC. CCEA is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
4. Parliament passes National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill
Parliament has passed National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019, with the Lok Sabha approving it on 26 November 2019. The bill was already passed by Rajya Sabha on 6 August 2019. The Bill will now be placed before President to seek his assent, before it becomes a law.
5. Parliament passes Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019
Parliament has passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2019 with the Rajya Sabha approving it by a voice vote on 26 November 2019. The bill was already passed by the 17th Lok Sabha on 5 August 2019. The bill now awaits Presidential assent, after which it will become a law.
6. Cabinet approves India-Saudi Arabia Agreement on Strategic Partnership Council
Union Cabinet headed Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Post Facto the Agreement signed by Prime Minister for establishment of Strategic Partnership Council between India and Saudi Arabia. The agreement was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 29 October 2019 during former’s two-day visit to the Gulf Kingdom.
7. NuGen Mobility Summit-2019 being held in Haryana
Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari inaugurated NuGen Mobility Summit-2019 at International Center of Automotive Technology (ICAT) in Manesar, Haryana. This three-day conference will be held from 27 to 29 November 2019.
8. Cabinet approves MoUs with Saudi Arabia to combat smuggling of narcotic drugs
Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) between Republic of India and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in field of combating illicit trafficking and smuggling of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Chemical Precursors.
9. SBI Card and Vistara Join Hands to Launch Co-branded Credit Cards
SBI Card and Vistara have joined hands to launch a one-of-its-kind premium credit card for travel savvy urban Indians. Launched in two variants, Club Vistara SBI Card PRIME and Club Vistara SBI Card, the new card has been designed to offer a rewarding travel experience to cardholders, through unique benefits and unmatched value proposition, on domestic and international travel spends.
10. Abhishek Verma-Jyothi Surekha combine claims compound mixed pair gold at Asian Archery Championships
Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam claimed the top honours in compound mixed pair event to fetch India’s lone gold at the 21st Asian Archery Championships, which ended here with the country picking up seven medals.
11. Seminar “DEFCOM INDIA 2019” underway in New Delhi
A two-day seminar “DEFCOM INDIA 2019” is underway in New Delhi with the theme “Communications: A Decisive Catalyst for Jointness”. The seminar, which began, is devoted to the seminal theme of leveraging communications for achieving jointness between the three services.
12. Bhubaneswar, Rourkela to host 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup
Odisha, the current home of Indian hockey, will again host the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup. The previous edition of the World Cup was held in Bhubaneswar in December 2018 with Belgium being crowned the champions.
The forthcoming edition of the extravaganza will be hosted in two cities – Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The announcement was made at a glittering event at the Kalinga stadium amidst 15000 people.
13. 270 mn people are migrants : World Migration Report 2020
The number of international migrants globally reached an estimated 272 million in 2019, an increase of 51 million since 2010. Currently, international migrants comprise 3.5 per cent of the global population, compared to 2.8 per cent in the year 2000, according to new estimates released by the United Nations.
14. Renowned cartoonist Sudhir Dar dies at 87
Renowned cartoonist Sudhir Dar, whose works graced several newspapers in a career spanning 58 years, died on November 26 after suffering a cardiac arrest, his family members said. He was 87.
Dar began his career with The Statesman in 1961 after which he moved to Hindustan Times. His cartoons have also appeared in The Independent, The Pioneer, Delhi Times, New York Times, Washington Post and Saturday Review among others.
