19th Nov. 2015 : World Toilet Day observed.
- Theme : Sanitation and Nutrition
- Aim : 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.
- 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.
WHO launched World Antibiotics Awareness Week
- Theme : Antibiotics : handle with care
- Aim : 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.
- The campaign is part of the WHO’s recent efforts to fight against antibiotic resistance due to growing misuse.
Mobile App unveiled to locate eToilet.
- 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.’
- 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.
V Raja appointed as Managing Director of Philips India.
- He will be responsible for driving and building the healthcare and consumer lifestyle businesses of the company in India.
- He taken over from A Krishna Kumar who took over the new role of Head of the Emerging Businesses Group for Philips globally.
- Raja is joining from TE Connectivity, where he was the President, India Operations, since 2011.
India’s ambassador to China : Vijay Gokhale
- He will replace Ashok Kanth.
- 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.
Union Cabinet approves signing of Tripartite Agreement on IBSA Fund for Poverty Alleviation.
- 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.
- It will help in strengthening the IBSA Fund which is a unique vehicle in the context of South-South cooperation.
Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015 approved by Delhi Govt.
- 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.
- The bill drafted by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia largely resembles the provisions contained in Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill, 2011.
Chief Justice of India : T S Thakur
- He will take over the office from 3 December 2015 as the 43rd Chief Justice of India.
- His tenure will be till 3 January 2017.
- Justice Thakur was enrolled as a Pleader in October 1972 and joined the Chamber of his father D.D. Thakur.
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Union Ministry of Environment constitutes Indian Resource Panel (InRP).
- India is the first country to constitute a National Resource Panel.
- Aim : To promote sustainable development of the country by utilising secondary resources to meet developmental needs.
- 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.
CCEA approves disinvestemt of 10 percent paid up capital in Coal India Limited.
- 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.
Union Cabinet approved German as additional foreign language in Kendriya Vidyalayas.
- 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.
- 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.
Union Govt. launches Acquisition & Development Fund under National Manufacturing Policy, 2011.
- The TADF was launched by Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman.
- 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.
India ratified Articles of Agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
- Union Cabinet chaired by the PM Narendra Modi gave its approval for the ratification and submitting of the Articles of Agreement (AoA) of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
- India will be the second-biggest shareholder with 8.4 percent, followed by Russia, which will have a 6.5 percent stake.
- 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.
Track Asia Cup Opening Day : Indian cyclists clinched five medals
- 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.
