Global Bio-India Summit to begin in Delhi

NATIONAL NEWS

Global Bio-India Summit to begin in Delhi

• Three-day Global Bio-India Summit will begin in New Delhi.
• It will be one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders’ conglomerates to be held in India for the first time.
• It will bring academia, innovators, researchers, start-ups, medium and large companies together on the same platform.
• over three thousand delegates from around 25 countries and over 15 states of India will participate in the mega event.
• Biotechnology has been recognized as a sunrise sector and a key driver for contributing to India's five trillion-dollar economy target by 2025.

MoS (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh to inaugurate ‘Destination North East’ Festival on 23rd November

• The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh will inaugurate the ‘Destination North East’ Festival in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on 23rd November, 2019.
• The festival is being organised by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India.
• The Minister launched the theme song of the festival. This is going to be a four-day event from 23rd to 26th November 2019 at IIT BHU grounds, Varanasi.
• The Previous editions of ‘Destination North East’ were held in Delhi and Chandigarh. Destination NE 2019 will provide live experience to the audience.
• All 8 states will be present at the event along with their handicrafts, handloom, organic products and cultural troupes.

Health ministry signs pact with Gates Foundation for support in innovation

• The Union ministry of health and family welfare signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
• Under the MoC, Gates Foundation will provide technical, management and program design support through its grantees and other partners, with a special focus on innovation, best practices and enhancing performance management, while working closely with the government.

STATE NEWS

Kolkata Becomes First City to Install 'Third Umpire' RT-PCR Machines for Speedy Detection of Dengue

• In a major step towards upholding public health, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has installed first of its kind high-end reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines in India for quick detection of diseases like dengue, tuberculosis and swine flu.
• These machines are to serve as a ‘third umpire’ in situations when medical reports and blood tests reveal contradictory results. “The purpose is to give accurate DNA report on blood tests in order to ascertain the exact cause of illness,”.

Assam government releases the new Land Policy 2019 after 30 years

• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal released the new Land Policy 2019 in Guwahati. The Land Policy was approved by Cabinet on 21st October and it has been prepared by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department after 30 years. It was last prepared in 1989.
• The state government has given a lot of emphasis in preparing the Policy to safeguard the interest of the indigenous people.
• The Policy would remove complications regarding land allotments and settlements.

Haryana to set up new Foreign Cooperation department

• The government of Haryana has decided to create a new department namely Department of ‘Foreign Cooperation’ in order to provide focus to various initiatives taken by the state government for the promotion of investment, employment for youth and welfare of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)/ Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) from the state.
• The new department will deal in the formulation of country-wise strategies for the promotion of investment, employment in the state, education and skill development and promotion of Haryanavi culture and welfare of Haryanavi diaspora.
• The Department will work closely with the Ministry of External Affairs to improve international cooperation with the foreign provinces.

MEETING/SUMMIT

6th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus to be held in Thailand

• 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.
• On the sidelines of ADMM-Plus, Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, General Prawit Wongsuwan, Defence Minister of Japan Taro Kono, Defence Minister of Australia Linda Reynolds and Defence Minister of New Zealand Ron Mark. Mr Singh reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral defence relations with the respective leaders and discussed ways to further improve the ties.

DEFENCE

GRSE delivers ICGS 'Amrit Kaur to Indian Coast Guard

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) delivered to the Indian Coast Guard ICGS 'Amrit Kaur', the third in a series of five 'Fast Patrol Vessels' (FPV).
• The warship builder delivered the ship within a time gap of only 14 days from November 5, when ICGS 'Annie Besant' was handed over to the Coast Guard.
• ICGS 'Amrit Kaur' is a 50-metre-long and 7.5-metre- wide medium-range surface vessel, with displacement of around 308 tonnes.
• It is capable of performing rescue, patrolling, anti-smuggling and anti-poaching operations in the maritime zones of the country.
• The vessel can attain a maximum speed of 34 knots with an endurance of over 1,500 nautical miles.

AWARDS

Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2019

• The Union Minister ofthe Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowdaand the Union Minister of State of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria, conferred the Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 awards to top ranked states, union territories, and districts in the various categories on the occasion of World Toilet Day atPravasiBhartiya Kendra, New Delhi.
• The top ranked state – Tamil Nadu, and the top ranked district – Peddapalli (Telangana), along with the state with the maximum citizen participation – Uttar Pradesh, had also been felicitated by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, at the Swachh Bharat Diwas event commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad on 2nd October, 2019.

SPORTS

Stefanos Tsitsipas beats Dominic Thiem in three sets to win Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Finals title

• Three years after coming to the ATP Finals as a hitting partner to the top pros, Stefanos Tsitsipas is leaving the tournament as champion.
• Tsitsipas rallied to beat Dominic Thiem 6-7 (6-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) for the biggest title of his career, becoming the youngest champion at the season-ending event in 18 years.

IMPORTANT DAY

Africa Industrialization Day -20 November

• Industry can enhance productivity, increase the capabilities of the workforce, and generate employment, by introducing new equipment and new techniques.
• Industrialization, with strong linkages to domestic economies, will help African countries to achieve high growth rates, diversify their economies and reduce their exposure to external shocks.
• This will substantially contribute to poverty eradication through employment and wealth creation.
• 2019 Theme- Positioning African Industry to Supply the AfCFTA Market
• This year, the celebration of the African Industrialization Day, "Positioning African Industry to supply the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Market," will raise awareness in the international community on the challenges and opportunities for Africa's industrialization within the framework of the newly created African Continental Free Trade Area.