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Quick Gyan is just the glimpse of Today’s Updates. We recommend you study the detailed news at the Current Affairs Section.
CURRENT AFFAIRS – NOVEMBER 2/2015
1.Ex-WB Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim passes away.
Hashim Abdul Halim, the longest-serving Speaker of any Legislative Assembly in the country, passed away on Monday morning. He was 80.
Halim served the West Bengal Assembly as the Speaker for 29 consecutive years from 1982 to 2011. While he gave many controversial ruling as a Speaker, Halim always shared cordial relationship with the members of the Assembly.
2.Turkey returns to single-party rule
Turkey’s Islamist-rooted AK Party swept to an unexpected victory in elections on Sunday, returning the country to single-party rule in an outcome that will boost the power of President Tayyip Erdogan but may sharpen deep social divisions.
With almost all ballots counted, the AKP had taken just shy of 50 percent of the votes, comfortably enough to control a majority in the 550-seat parliament and a far higher margin of victory than even party insiders had expected.
3.Delhi Metro bags ISO rating for efficient energy management
The Delhi Metro has become the first metro service in the country to be certified with the prestigious International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) rating for efficient energy management.
The stations and depot which have been certified are – Yamuna Bank, Anand Vihar, Sarita Vihar, Ashok Park Main, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Kashmere Gate, Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Janpath, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shahdara, Azadpur, HUDA City Centre and the Khyber Pass depot.
4.Odisha Government imposes 7- month ban on fishing to protect Olive Ridley sea turtles
In order to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles that arrive during winters for nesting, the Odisha forest department on Sunday imposed a seven-month ban on fishing along the coast. The ban will be in force from November 1 to May 31, 2016. The endangered Olive Ridley turtles arrive every year during winters for mass nesting in Rushikulya river mouth and Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.
5.Facebook to help BSNL set up 100 wi-fi hotspots in rural India
Boosting the government’s ambitious ‘Digital India’ drive, social media giant Facebook has come forward to facilitate state-run BSNL in setting up 100 Wi-Fi sites in rural areas of western and southern India. Facebook will spend Rs 5 crore per annum for sponsoring these 100 Wi-Fi hotspots in the country.
6.MHRD constituted TSR Subramanian committee to draft New Education Policy
Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on 31 October 2015 constituted a drafting committee to frame the New Education Policy (NEP). It will be headed by former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian and will have four members-
• Shailaja Chandra, former Chief Secretary, NCT of Delhi
• Sewaram Sharma, former Home Secretary, NCT of Delhi
• Sudhir Mankad, former Chief Secretary of Gujarat
• JS Rajput, former Director, NCERT
7.AK Jha took over as CMD of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited
8.American actor Al Molinaro passed away
Al Molinaro, the actor known to millions of television viewers for his roles as the diner owner Al Delvecchio in Happy Days, and Murray the cop in The Odd Couple, has died at the age of 96. His son, Michael, said he died on Friday at Verdugo Hills hospital in Glendale, California, following complications from gallstone problems.
9.Captain Krishna Swaminathan takes over Command of Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya
aptain Krishna Swaminathan on Monday assumed charge as the second Commanding Officer of INS Vikramaditya, Indian Navy’s new and formidable aircraft carrier, at Karwar.
The ship was commissioned at Severodvinsk in Russia on November 16, 2013, and has since been commanded by Captain Suraj Berry.
10.Environment Ministry Launches New Website on National Clean Development Mechanism Authority
Environment Ministry has launched a new website of National Clean Development Mechanism Authority (NCDMA) for streamlining the approval process of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects.
The new website of National Clean Development Mechanism Authority (NCDMA), which gives approval for CDM projects like energy efficiency and solid waste management, will help capture the entire life cycle of projects.
11.Australia drops knights and dames from honours system
Australia will no longer appoint knights and dames under its honours system, PM Malcolm Turnbull has said.
Mr Turnbull said the titles were “not appropriate” in modern Australia, and that Queen Elizabeth had accepted the cabinet’s recommendation to drop them.
Former PM Tony Abbott reintroduced knighthoods and damehoods in 2014.
12.World Series: Kansas City Royals beat New York Mets to win title
The Kansas City Royals have won their first World Series title in 30 years after beating the New York Mets 7-2 in game five.The Royals’ 12-inning victory over the Mets on Sunday at Citi Field saw them take the best-of-seven series 4-1.
It is their first title since 1985 but they had to come from behind to win it, rallying from 2-0 down in the ninth.
13.2 November – International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/68/163 at its 68th session in 2013 which proclaimed 2 November as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’. The Resolution urged Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity. The date was chosen in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on 2 November 2013.
14.New Zealand’s Dan Carter named World Rugby player of year
New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter was named World Rugby player of the year for a third time at a ceremony in London .Carter, 33, helped the All Blacks to a 34-17 win over Australia in Saturday’s World Cup final at Twickenham.
He has announced his international retirement after scoring a record 1,598 points in 112 appearances. The All Blacks won the team of the year and Australia’s Michael Cheika was named coach of the year.
15.Federal Bank appoints Shalini Warrier as COO
South-based lender Federal Bank today said it has appointed Shalini Warrier as the chief operating officer.
Warrier, a Chartered Accountant, had a 25-year stint with the Standard Chartered Bank, and last served as the chief executive and head of consumer banking for the British lender’s operations in Brunei, Federal Bank said in a statement.
16.Unisys Corp appoints Ravikumar Sreedharan as India MD
Information Technology firm Unisys Corporation today said it has appointed Ravikumar Sreedharan as Managing Director of companys India unit, effective October 31, 2015.
Sreedharan succeeds Kumar Prabhas, who served as MD of Unisys India for last eight years, and will be leaving Unisys India for a position with another company, the firm said in a statement.
17.Jaitley to open WEF India summit on November 4 2015
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will open the World Economic Forum’s India summit on November 4, an event that will see participation of more than 250 stakeholders and leaders, including Union Ministers.
The theme of the meet is ‘Delivering Growth in the New Context’.
