1. World Toilet Day observed on 19 November with the theme Sanitation and Nutrition
i. World Toilet Day (WTD) was observed on 19 November 2015 across the world with the theme Sanitation and Nutrition. The aim of WTD is to raise awareness about the people in the world who don’t have access to a toilet, despite the fact that it is a human right to have clean water and sanitation.
ii. The effort of the WTD in 2015 was to draw the world’s attention to the importance of toilets in supporting better nutrition and improved health. WTD has been celebrated by the World Toilet Organisation since 2001. It was later became an official UN day on 24 July 2013 as the 67th session of UN General Assembly approved it through the Sanitation For All resolution.
iii. About 2.4 billion people around the world still do not have adequate sanitation and 1 billion among them still defecate in the open. Poor sanitation increases the risk of disease and malnutrition, especially for women and children.
iv. While 1000 children die each day due to poor sanitation, women and girls risk rape and abuse because they have no toilet that offers privacy. In September 2015, the UN General Assembly approved the Sustainable Development Goal 6 that aims at access to water and sanitation for all.
2. Mobile app to locate eToilet
i. Eram Scientific Solutions, manufacturer of electronic toilets, has unveiled a new eToilet mobile app. The Andriod app is downloadable for free from Google Playstore by typing the keyword ‘etoilets.’
ii. It helps locate the nearest etoilets via a map and address listings, Anvar Sadath K, CEO, Eram, says. It also provides details on mode of access and information on facilities such as napkin-vending machine and incinerator.
iii. The app enables sharing feedback on the user experience of eToilet along with image uploading. The public can also use the app to suggest new places for installing eToilets. eToilets have opened a new era in the public sanitation sector with its unmanned, self-cleaning and remote monitoring features, Sadath said.
iv. The app has been launched as part of establishing a new connected eToilet Infrastructure (CeTI) on the occasion of the World Toilet Day (November 19).
3. V Raja is MD of Philips India
i. Philips India has appointed V Raja as the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director effective December 1.
ii. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving and building the healthcare and consumer lifestyle businesses of the company in India.
iii. He takes over from A Krishna Kumar who took over the new role of Head of the Emerging Businesses Group for Philips globally.
iv. Raja is joining from TE Connectivity, where he was the President, India Operations, since 2011.
4. Vijay Keshav Gokhale appointed as India’s ambassador to China
i. Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to China. He will replace Ashok Kantha, who was appointed as envoy to China in January 2014 for a two-year term i.e. till January 2016.
ii. Currently, Mr.Gokhale is serving as the India’s Ambassador to Germany. He is a 1981 batch India Foreign Service (IFS) officer. Prior, to his appointment as India’s top envoy to Germany, he had served at different Indian missions including in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and New York.
iii. Mr.Gokhale also had held the posts of director (China and East Asia) and joint secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) headquarters in New Delhi, . He is known to be one of the most knowledgeable Indian diplomat who is well versed with international affairs of China.
5. Union Cabinet approved signing of Tripartite Agreement on IBSA Fund for Poverty Alleviation
i. The Union Cabinet on 18 November 2015 approved the signing of the Tripartite Agreement among India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) on the IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger. The decision will help in strengthening the IBSA Fund which is a unique vehicle in the context of South-South cooperation.
ii. The IBSA countries contribute 1 million US dollars each annually to the Fund, which till January 2015 has accumulated to 28.2 million US dollars, with total implemented/approved projects commitment of 26.2 million US dollars. Remaining 2.09 million US dollars is available for programming. India on its part has contributed 9.1 million US dollars so far to the Fund.
iii. The IBSA Fund undertakes development projects in third countries. The first project to be financed by the IBSA Fund was in support of agriculture and livestock development. It was conferred with the South-South Partnership Award at the 2006 UN Day event held in New York in December 2006.
iv. The IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger was set up in 2004 as one of the three pillars of cooperation under the IBSA Dialogue Forum. The other two pillars are consultation and coordination on global political issues and trilateral collaboration in concrete areas and projects.
7. WHO launched World Antibiotic Awareness Week with the theme Antibiotics: handle with care
i. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 16 November 2015 launched the World Antibiotic Awareness Week with the theme Antibiotics: handle with care.
ii. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and encourage best practices among the public, policymakers, health and agriculture professionals to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.
iii. The campaign is part of the WHO’s recent efforts to fight against antibiotic resistance due to growing misuse. In May 2015, the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly a global action plan to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education and training.
iv. Antibiotics, also known as antibacterials, are types of medications that destroy or slow down the growth of bacteria in order to contain bacteria-caused illness. Though all bacteria are not harmful, few of them do cause such illnesses as syphilis, tuberculosis, salmonella, and some forms of meningitis.
8. Justice T S Thakur appointed Chief Justice of India
i. The President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 18 November 2015 appointed Justice Tirath Singh Thakur as the Chief Justice of India. Justice Thakur will take over the office from 3 December 2015 as the 43rd Chief Justice of India. His tenure will be till 3 January 2017.
ii. Justice Thakur was enrolled as a Pleader in October 1972 and joined the Chamber of his father D.D. Thakur. He practised in Civil, Criminal, Constitutional, Taxation and Service matters in the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir.
iii. He was elected as the President of the Bar Association in 1986 and was designated as a Senior Advocate in 1990. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir on 16 February 1994 and later was transferred as Judge of the High Court of Karnataka in March 1994.
iv. In July 2004, he was transferred as a Judge of the High Court of Delhi. He was appointed as Acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court on 9 April 2008. He took over as Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana on 11 August 2008. He was elevated as Judge of Supreme Court and assumed the charge on 17 November 2009.
9. Indian Resource Panel (InRP) on Resource Efficiency constituted
i. Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar on 18 November 2015 announced formation of Indian Resource Panel (InRP) on Resource Efficiency. India is the first country to constitute a National Resource Panel.
ii. The InRP was formed with an aim to promote sustainable development of the country by utilising secondary resources to meet developmental needs.
iii. The four of the 10 members of the InRP are former environment secretaries and they are Viswanath N Anand, RH Khwaja, Tishyarakshit Chatterjee and Prodipto Ghosh. Other six members are Ashok Khosla from Development Alternatives, Director-General of Bureau of Energy Efficiency Ajay Mathur, Ravi Agarwal of Toxics Link; CSE Director-General Sunita Narain, Seema Arora from CII and Prasad Modak of Environmental Management Centre.
iii. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will partner with relevant ministries of the Union Government, private and public enterprises for creation of a facilitative environment for recycling to promote sustainability and decouple growth from environment degradation.
10. CCEA approved disinvestment of 10 percent paid up equity capital in Coal India Limited
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 18 November 2015 approved the disinvestment of 10 percent paid up equity capital of Coal India Limited (CIL).
ii. With this disinvestment in CIL, the Union Government is expecting to mop up around 20000 crore rupees. As at current market capitalisation, based on CIL stock price, 10 percent stake sale could fetch about 21137.71 crore rupees.
iii. This disinvestment implies divesting of 631636440 shares of Face Value of 10 rupees each out of the Union Government shareholding of 78.65 percent through public offering in the domestic market. This figure has been estimated after adjusting one percent equity to be offered for sale to the employees of CIL as per CCEA decision in September 2014, which is under process of implementation.
iv. The paid up equity capital of the CIL is 6316 crore rupees. After the disinvestment of 10 percent equity, the Government's shareholding in CIL would come down to 68.65 percent. The disinvestment transaction will be an Offer for Sale (OFS) of shares by the Promoters through the Stock Exchange Mechanism method as per the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Rules and Regulations.
11. Union Cabinet approved German as additional foreign language in Kendriya Vidyalayas
i. Union Cabinet on 18 November 2015 gave its ex-post approval to the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The JDI seeks to promote German as an additional Foreign Language in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) schools.
ii. With this approval, German language will now be taught as an additional foreign language in KVs in conformity with the National Education Policy, 1986. The approval also gives green signal to promotion of teaching of Modern Indian Languages in Germany.
iii. German was taught as a foreign language in KVs since September 2011 when a MoU was signed between Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Goethe-Institute, Max Mueller. The validity of the MoU expired in September 2014.
iv. Due to some inconsistencies in the MoU vis-à-vis National Education Policy and the National Curriculum Framework relating to the “three language formula”, it was not renewed further.
12. Technology Acquisition & Development Fund under National Manufacturing Policy launched
i. Union Government on 18 November 2015 launched the Technology Acquisition and Development Fund (TADF) under the National Manufacturing Policy, 2011. The TADF was launched by Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman.
ii. The fund will facilitate acquisition of clean, green and energy efficient technologies. It will also catalyse the manufacturing growth in Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector with an aim to contribute to ‘Make in India’ initiative.
iii. The scheme will be implemented through Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA), a joint venture company. GITA was launched in 2007-08 by CII and Department of Science & Technology to stimulate private sector's investment in R&D.
iv. Proposals from Indian industry will be invited for reimbursement of 50 percent of technology transfer fee or 20 lakh rupees, whichever is lower.
v. Financial support will be provided in acquiring of patent from across the globe based on applications received from MSMEs. Technology/Patent will be licensed to selected companies and the selected companies will get a subsidy of 50 percent of the mutually agreed value or 20 lakh rupees.
13. India ratified Articles of Agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 November 2015 gave its approval for the ratification and submitting of the Articles of Agreement (AoA) of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
ii. India will be the second-biggest shareholder with 8.4 percent, followed by Russia, which will have a 6.5 percent stake.
iii. Establishment of the AIIB will help India and other signatory countries to raise and avail resources for their infrastructure and sustainable development projects. It will enable India to play a prominent role in the governance of a multilateral institution.
iv. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a proposed international financial institution which is focused on supporting infrastructure construction in the Asia-Pacific region.
v. The bank was proposed by China and supported by 37 regional and 20 non-regional Prospective Founding Members, 53 of which have signed the AoA that form the legal basis for the proposed bank.
14. Delhi Government approved Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015
i. The Delhi Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on 18 November 2015 approved the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015. The Bill envisages the establishment of an independent authority to investigate offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. It also covers the Chief Minister’s Office.
ii. The bill drafted by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia largely resembles the provisions contained in Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill, 2011.
iii. The bill prescribes time-bound investigation of offences within six months and states that as far as possible the trial in such cases should be completed in six months. It also allows authorities to provisionally attach assets acquired by corrupt means.
iv. It provides that punishment for any act of corruption cannot be less than six months and a maximum of 10 years. In rarest or rare cases, the corrupt public servant can be sentenced to life imprisonment. It seeks to bring Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority and municipal bodies under its ambit.
v. The Delhi Janlokpal Bill, 2015 is the newer version of Janlokpal Bill, 2014, that had led CM Arvind Kejriwal to resign in February 2014 after being at the helm of Delhi Government for 49 days. He had resigned after the version 2014 was unable to get through the legislative assembly.
15. Indian cyclists won five medals on the opening day of Track Asia Cup
i. Indian men and women elite cyclists on 18 November 2015 won five medals on the opening day of the Track Asia Cup. The cyclists won one gold medal, three silver medals and one bronze medal at the event held in IG Stadium Complex Velodrome, New Delhi.
ii. India has fielded two additional teams of SAI National Cycling Academy (SAINCA) and Western Indian Team (WIT). However, the medals won by cyclists representing SAINCA and WIT will not be counted in India's medal tally.
iii. Anu clinched a silver medal in the 500m race distance event in the junior women category in a time of 40.093 seconds. Amritha Reghunathan, from SAINCA, won the gold medal in a time of 39.927 seconds.
iv. In women's elite event of 500m race distance, cyclists Deborah grabbed a silver medal in new national record time of 35.77 seconds. She lost to Korea's Kim Wangyeong. Junior women team of Anu and Rajesh Nayana won a gold medal in Team Sprint event with a timing of 39.702 seconds.
1. Nitish Kumar sworn-in as Bihar Chief Minister
i. Senior JDU leader Nitish Kumar was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Bihar for the fifth time on 20 November 2015. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
ii. Governor Ramnath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Nitish Kumar. He also administered the oath of the office to other council of ministers belonging to RJD, JD(U) and Congress parties.
iii. RJD president Lalu Prasad's sons, first time MLA Tejaswi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, were also sworn in.
iv. In the elections held in five phases from October 12 October and 5 November 2015 Grand Alliance of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (United) (JDU) and Indian National Congress (INC) emerged as the winner of the election with thumping two-third majority. RJD, a part of the grand Alliance with 80 seats emerged as the largest party.
2. TCS, Intel launched Centre of Excellence for IoT in Hyderabad
i. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest software exporter, on 18 November 2015 launched a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Internet of Things (IoT) in collaboration with Intel. The CoE is located at the TCS campus in Hyderabad.
ii. Its focus is to integrate IoT solutions developed by TCS on Intel IoT platforms and to fast-track creation of end-to-end solutions. It will augment developing new use cases for various industries for global customers in manufacturing, retail, hi-tech, semiconductors, healthcare and telecom industries.
iii. It will enable the creation of indigenous and innovative solutions, establish a strong ecosystem of IoT, cloud computing, and a software-defined network. It will help in creating new business opportunities; simplify product development and help customers deal with rapid changes in technology.
iv. It refers to a network of internet connected devices which are embedded with electronic sensors and data transmitting technologies. By using the Internet, the data collected by sensors in the IoT devices like cars, power systems and even as small as tooth brushes transmitted to other networked devices and data processing systems.
3. World Economic Forum released Global Gender Gap Report 2015
i. World Economic Forum (WEF) on 19 November 2015 released the Global Gender Gap Report 2015. It ranked 145 economies according to how well they are leveraging their female talent pool, based on economic, educational, health-based and political indicators.
ii. As per the report, the global gender gap across health, education, economic opportunity and politics has closed by only 4 percent in the past 10 years suggesting it will take another 118 years to close this gap completely.
iii. And, out of the 145 countries surveyed, while Iceland topped the Gender Gap Index for the seventh year in a row, India stood at the 108th position.
iv. Top 5 countries with high gender equality are Iceland (1), Norway (2), Finland (3), Sweden (4) and Ireland (5) and five countries with least gender equality are Iran (141), Chad (142), Syria (143), Pakistan (144) and Yemen (145).
v. Among the G20 countries, while India and Saudi Arabia have the lowest rate of labour participation (40 percent), the USA has the highest participation rate that is at around 80 percent.
vi. In Economic Participation and Opportunity segment, India’s performance was one of the lowest (139 rank) among the surveyed countries. While the labour force participation rate among women was 29 percent, it was 83 among men.
4. 23rd APEC Economic Leaders Summit held at Manila
i. 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Summit was held at Manila, Philippines from 18 November to 19 November 2015. The summit was chaired by Philippines President Benigno S. Aquino III.
ii. The theme of the Summit was Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World. After the conclusion of the summit, the leaders from 21 member-countries issued the 2015 Leaders Declaration titled Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World: A Vision for an Asia-Pacific Community
iii. Peru will chair APEC throughout 2016 and host the 24th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. The idea of APEC was firstly publicly broached by former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke during a speech in Seoul, Korea on 31 January 1989. Ten months later, 12 Asia-Pacific economies met in Canberra, Australia to establish APEC.
iv. China, Hong Kong, China and Chinese Taipei joined in 1991. Mexico and Papua New Guinea followed in 1993. Chile acceded in 1994. And in 1998, Peru, Russia and Viet Nam joined, taking the full membership to 21.
5. University of East London awarded honorary doctorate to Ashok Amritraj
i. Tennis champion-turned Hollywood filmmaker Ashok Amritraj on 19 November 2015 was awarded with an honorary doctorate of Arts by the University of East London. Amritraj was honoured for promoting talented moviemakers from across the world, including India.
ii. Born on 22 February 1956 in Chennai, Amritraj started his career as a tennis player who represented India on an international level. He competed in doubles at Wimbledon and the US Open. He reached the third round of the US Open in 1977. He also gained victories over Paul McNamee and his brother Vijay Amritraj in singles.
iii. His filmography as producer includes movies such as Bringing down the House, Premonition, Machete, Blue Valentine and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. He sat on the board of the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF) for seven years.
6. 7th Central Pay Commission submitted its report; recommended 23.55% hike
i. The 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) headed by Justice AK Mathur submitted its report on 19 November 2015 to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The commission recommended 23.55 percent hike in pay and allowances of government employees.
ii. The recommended pay revision will come into effect from 1 January 2016. The minimum pay for government employees is recommended to be set at 18000 rupees per month. The maximum pay is recommended to be 225000 rupees per month for Apex Scale and 250000 per month for Cabinet Secretary and others presently at the same pay level.
iii. The increase in pay will be 16 percent, increase in allowances will be 63 percent and increase in pension will be 24 percent. The present system of pay bands and grade pay has been dispensed and a new pay matrix has been designed. Grade Pay has been subsumed in the pay matrix. The status of the employee, determined by grade pay, will now be determined by the level in the pay matrix.
iv. One Rank One Pension proposed for civilian government employees on line of OROP for armed forces. Increase in Military Service Pay and revised pension formula for civil employees including Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Defence Personnel retiring before 1 January 2016.
v. Military Service Pay (MSP), which is a compensation for the various aspects of military service, will be admissible to the defence forces personnel only.
vi. The 7th Central Pay Commission headed by Justice A K Mathur was set up on 28 February 2014 by then Union Government to revise remuneration of employees and pensioners of central government including Defence and Railways.
7. CCEA approved extension of Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 18 November 2015 approved extension of Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) for five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20. The extension was approved by the Prime Minister-headed CCEA in view of continued relevance of the scheme.
ii. During the extended period, about 3771 crore rupees will be utilized as part of the scheme. In fact, it was the second extension since its inception in 2005-06. The first extension was granted in 2009-2010 for five years.
iii. IDEAS attempts to promote India's strategic political and economic interest abroad by positioning it as an emerging economic power, investor country and partner for developing countries. The fund is towards payment of Interest Equalization Support on Line of Credits (LoCs) to the lending bank.
iv. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) forwards the proposals for LoC to the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the Ministry of Finance. The LoC will be operated through Export Import Bank of India or any other willing bank/ lending agency decided with the approval of Finance Minister.
8. UNHCR chosen for Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2015
i. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was on 19 November 2015 chosen for the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2015.
ii. A decision in this regard was taken by the international jury of the prize, headed by Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari on the occasion of birth annniversary of Indira Gandhi. The UNHCR was chosen for the award in recognition of its immense contributions in assisting millions of refugees in their rehabilitation and resettlement.
iii. It was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly with a mandate to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland and operates in 123 countries across the world.
iv. Since its inception, it has helped tens of millions of refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and stateless people. Its ongoing work in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and the Mediterranean region to deal with the European Migration Crisis has been appreciated worldwide.
v. It is the prestigious annual award accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Trust since 1986. It is presented to individuals or organizations in recognition of creative efforts towards promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order.
9. Srishti Pandey won Indiana FIDE Rating Chess Tournament
i. Maharashtra’s chess player Srishti Pandey on 18 November 2015 clinched the second Indiana All India FIDE Rating Chess tournament. The tournament was organised by Nagpur Taluka Chess Association, which concluded at Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti Hall, Reshimbagh, Nagpur.
ii. Fourteen years old Pandey shared points with Avadh Chaitanya from Madhya Pradesh playing on the top board and ended with seven and half points each at the end of the ninth and last round of the Swiss-league tournament.
iii. After application of the tie-breaker, top-seed FIDE Master Vinaykumar Matta from Andhra Pradesh settled for the fourth position. Third seed FIDE Master Saurav Kherdekar from Railways was relegated to seventh position.
1. ADB pledges $120 million loan to finance India, Bangladesh electricity link under SASEC Programme
i. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to provide 120 million dollar loan in order to finance cross-border electricity link between Bangladesh and India under SASEC Programme. In this regard, loan agreement was signed by ADB Country Director Kazuhiko Higuchi and Mohammad Mejbahuddin, Senior Secretary of Bangladesh Finance Ministry.
ii. The loan fund would be used for Second Bangladesh-India Grid Inter connectivity project under the ambitious South Asia Sub-regional Economic Co-operation (SASEC) Programme. The projects under SASEC Programme aim to promote regional prosperity through improved cross-border links in trade, power, road and rail links between India and Bangladesh.
iii. The second project under will double the existing capacity from 500 MW to 1000 MW of the inter-connectivity link connecting power grid at Bheramara in western Bangladesh and the grid of eastern India at Bahrampur (Odisha). It should be noted that the networks under the first project were connected in 2013 and was financed by ADB under the SASEC Programme.
iv. Set up in 2001 to bring together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka in a project-based partnership. This sub-regional partnership aims to Strengthening regional economic cooperation and boosting trade among member countries.
2. Russia inks deal to build Egypt’s first nuclear plant at Dabaa
i. Russia has signed two agreements with Egypt to finance and build its first nuclear power plant at Dabaa on the Mediterranean coast in the northwest of the country. As per one of the agreement, Russia will extend a loan to Egypt to cover the cost of construction of the nuclear plant which is expected to be completed by 2022.
ii. Russia will grant a 35-year loan to the Egypt which is the Arab world’s most populous country. However in the agreement the loan has been not disclosed as the details of the credit agreement are still under discussion.
iii. Dabaa Nuclear plant will be third-generation plant with four reactors with total capacity of 1,200 MW. On completion the plant will make Egypt a regional leader in terms of civil nuclear technology.
iv. Since 1980s, Egypt has been pursuing its plan to have a peaceful nuclear programme for the production of electricity at Dabaa. But the North African country had frozen its nuclear programme plans after disputes with local residents due to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
3. Walmart offers entrepreneur development programme for women
i. Walmart India today announced an entrepreneur development programme for women, a move to encourage women owned businesses (WOBs) in the supply chain. This will include softer payment terms for them in their first year of empanelment with Walmart India.
ii. Speaking at the launch of Andhra Pradesh Rural Inclusive Growth Project on Thursday, Krish Iyer, President & CEO, Walmart India, said, “Andhra Pradesh will be one of the first states in India where we will start an entrepreneurial programme for women in collaboration with Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty. Under this programme, we will guide and advise aspiring women entrepreneurs in starting modern Kirana stores in their communities.”
iii. As an ongoing commitment to empowering women around the world and helping WOBs succeed and grow, Walmart has committed to source $20 billion from women for its US business and double sourcing from women in international markets, the statement said.
iv. Wal-Mart India Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart Stores Inc., owns and operates 21 Best Price Modern Wholesale stores in 9 states across India. The company plans to open 50 more stores by 2020.
v. Walmart has also trained 17,891 women with life skills in India through its Women in Factories (WiF) training programme. Launched in 2011, WiF is working toward empowering 60,000 women working in 150 factories that supply products to retailers in Bangladesh, Central America, China, and India.
4. AAI signed MoU with IL&FS to bolster overseas expansion
i. Airports Authority of India (AAI) on 20 November 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IL&FS Global Financial Services to spread its wings overseas. IL&FS Global Financial Services is a subsidiary of infrastructure giant IL&FS.
ii. Through this tie-up, AAI aims to go global from local, considering its expertise and capabilities in airport development and operation and management. The authority will get an opportunity to identify airport development opportunities in Middle East, Africa regions as well as in CIS countries.
iii. Over a period of time, AAI has developed more than 60 airports in metro and non-metro cities in India.
iv. Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) is one of India's leading infrastructure development and finance companies.
5. Rajasthan Government signed 295 MoUs attracting 3.3 lakh crore rupees investment
i. Rajasthan Government on 20 November 2015 signed 295 MoUs attracting about 3.3 lakh crore rupees investment during the Resurgent Partnership Summit 2015. With this, a task force will be formed to get the projects implemented in a time-bound manner.
ii. It aims to provide around 239694 lakh jobs in the state. The Energy sector got MoUs worth 190000 crore rupees followed by Petroleum with 77657 crore rupees worth MoUs. Infrastructure got MoUs worth 17038 crore rupees while Manufacturing sector of the state fetched MoUs worth 11760 crore rupees.
iii. Roads and Highways fetched 10000 crore rupees MoUs. Tourism was allotted with 5783 crore rupees MoUs, Medical and Health with 4752 crore rupees MoUs, Agriculture with 2402 crore rupees and Education got 1807 crore rupees MoUs. Besides, award of sanctions in roads and highways got MoUs worth 25446 crore rupees.
iv. Adani Group Chief Gautam Adani announced to investing 10000 crore rupees in the state over the next four years. Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla committed to invest 7000 crore rupees in the cement sector.
v. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group announced plans of 6000 crore rupees investment in the solar sector. Hero Motocorp Chairman Pawan Munjal announced to set up state of the art R&D centre in Jaipur besides pledging further investment in solar energy.
6. Harshavardhan Neotia elected as President of FICCI
i. Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia group, was on 20 November 2015 elected as the President of industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the year 2016.
ii. Neotia will succeed the current FICCI President Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and Managing Director of Bharat Hotels Ltd, during the chamber's AGM in December 2015.
iii. Currently, Neotia is the Senior Vice President (VP) of FICCI. He is also a member of the Rajasthan Chief Minister's Advisory Council and West Bengal Chief Minister's Core Committee on Industry.
iv. Harshavardhan Neotia is the Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group that covers the entire spectrum of the Real Estate industry including housing, hospitality, health care and education. In 1999, Neotia was conferred with Padma Shri for his outstanding initiative in social housing.
7. Rajasthan, South Australia signed Sister-State Agreement
i. Rajasthan and South Australia on 20 November 2015 signed the historic Sister-State Agreement to boost export and investment opportunities between the two states.
ii. The agreement was signed by South Australia Trade and Investment Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan.
iii. The sister-state relationship between South Australia and Rajasthan is based on a two-way exchange of research, policy and technical capabilities. The agreement provides partnership opportunities across key sectors where South Australian business will offer services and product support.
iv. The expertise of South Australia in sustainable water management will also play a critical role to further improve water access and security for businesses and communities in Rajasthan.
v. In November 2015, the South Australian Government released research showing that 65000 South Australian jobs are linked to international exports. It showed export jobs are not just limited to traditional export sectors like agriculture but also to services, health care, communications, transport.
8. UN Security Council approved French-sponsored resolution urging action against ISIS
i. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 20 November 2015 unanimously adopted a French-sponsored resolution 2249 (2015) calling all nations to take all necessary measures to prevent and suppress the terrorist acts of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other extremist groups.
ii. It mentions that ISIS group constitutes a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security and expresses its determination to combat it by all means. It unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms the horrifying terrorist attacks carried out by the Islamic State in Sousse, Tunisia and Ankara, Turkey in 2015.
iii. It urges UN member states to intensify their efforts to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq and Syria and to prevent and suppress the financing on terrorism. It is the 14th terrorism-related resolution adopted by the UNSC since 1999.
iv. However, the resolution does not constitute an authorisation for military action because it is not drafted under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter which is the only way the United Nations can give a green light to the use of force.
v. The resolution was adopted by UNSC a week after ISIS extremists had launched a coordinated barbaric gun and bomb assault in Paris (France) on 13 November 2015 that killed 130 people.
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