13 November 2015 Daily current affairs updates / GK / GA

Nov 15, 2015

13 November 2015 Daily current affairs updates / GK / GA: India launched GSAT-15 communication satellite successfully.

Indigenously made communications satellite GSAT-15 was launched successfully on 11 November 2015 by the European Ariane 5 VA-227 launch vehicle at 3:04 am.
The launch took place from Kourou in French Guyana in South America. The Ariane-5 rocket was hired at a cost of approximately 581 crores rupees.
The 3164 kilogram GSAT-15 carries communication transponders in Ku-band as well as a GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 and L5 bands. An Arabsat communications satellite also accompanied the GSAT-15 on the same launch.

Subir Gokarn appointed as Executive Director of IMF.

Former deputy governor of RBI Subir Vithal Gokarn appointed as ED on board of IMF.
He will replace Rakesh Mohan at the IMF.
Mohan’s three year tenure ends in November 2015. Gokarn’s name was cleared by Appointments Committee of Cabinet presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as per an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.

India signs six MoUs with six countries in the International Civil Aviation Negotiations.

Government of India announced on 12 November 2015 that it signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with six countries.
These countries are: Finland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and Oman and Ethiopia.
In addition, Agreed Minutes were signed with Serbia, Greece, and European Commission.
The Record of Discussions was signed with Brunei Darussalam and Qatar.
The MoUs were signed during International Civil Aviation Negotiations (ICAN) 2015, which was held in Antalya, Turkey from 19 to 23 October 2015.

Internation Children’s Peace Prize 2015 conferred on Abraham M Keita.

He was awarded for his extraordinary and peaceful fight for justice for child victims of physical or sexual violence, and for successfully campaigning for the Liberian parliament to adopt the Children’s Law.
Seventeen-year-old Keita received the prize from Nobel Peace Laureate and his countrywoman Leymah Gbowee in The Hague.
International Children’s Peace Prize is awarded annually to child from across the world for his or her dedication to children’s rights.
The prize is an initiative of Marc Dullaert, Chairman and Founder of the Dutch KidsRights Foundation.

Indian origin barrister Kalyani Kaul sworned in as Circuit Judge in UK on 9^th November 2015.

Indian-origin barrister in UK, Kalyani Kaul was sworn-in as a Circuit Judge in the UK on 9 November 2015.
Now, she will be sitting at Snaresbrook Crown Court with immediate effect.
54-year-old Kalyani is known for her extensive and wide ranging experience in heavy-weight criminal defence work.
She has spent 32 years defending serious and high profile cases.

Sameer Panda led Indian team wins NASA award for Burst Prevention & Puncture Curative technology.

Udit Bondia, KN Panda and Smitiparna Satpathy are the other members of the team.
They won the award in the Create the Future Design Contest- 2015 conducted by NASA Tech Brief in New York.
Tech Brief is a contest jointly organized by NASA and Society of Automobile Engineers, International.

Defence Minister commissioned India’s Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel ‘Samarth’.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 10 November 2015 commissioned the India Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), ‘Samarth’ at Vasco in Goa.
It is Coast Guard’s largest OPV.
The Ship built by Goa Shipyard limited is the first in the series of six off Shore Patrol vessels.

Annual Hundred Drums Wangala Festival begun on a cultural fervor at Asanang near Tura town in Meghalaya.

The three day-long started with the arrival of ten Wangala Dance Troupes from various parts of Garo Hills.
Significance of Wangala Festival Wangala Festival is an annual post-harvest festival of the Garos tribes of North east India.
Generally It is celebrated in the second week of November every year.