Appointments & Resigns, Science & Technology, SportsNovember 30th, 2017, Current Affairs PDF Download

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Sibi George appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See

On 20^th November 2017, Sibi George was appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See.

Sibi George – Ambassador of India to the Holy See:

i. Sibi George is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 1993 batch. He is presently Ambassador of India to Switzerland.

ii. He has been concurrently appointed the next Ambassador of India to the Holy See, with residence in Berne. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

About Holy See:

♦ Also known as – See of Rome
♦ Official language – Latin
♦ Jurisdiction – Vatican City

Rathna Prabha appointed as Chief Secretary of Karnataka

On 28^th November 2017, the Karnataka government appointed senior woman IAS officer K Ratna Prabha as the new chief secretary of Karnataka.

Rathna Prabha – Chief Secretary of Karnataka:

i. Rathna Prabha will be the third woman civil servant to hold the top bureaucratic post in Karnataka after Teresa Bhattacharya (2000) and Malati Das (2006) and the second woman to concurrently hold the top post in Karnataka with Neelamani N Raju, who is the Director General & Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP).

ii. Ratna Prabha is a 1981 batch IAS officer. She will succeed Subhash Chandra Khuntia, whose term ends on November 30, 2017. Ratna Prabha retires in March 2018.

Some dams of Karnataka:

♦ Almatti Dam – Krishna River
♦ Bhadra Dam – Bhadra River
♦ Krishna Raja Sagara Dam – Kaveri River
♦ Tungabhadra Dam – Tungabhadra River

Dia Mirza appointed as UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India

Actor-activist Dia Mirza has been appointed UN (United Nations) Environment’s Goodwill Ambassador for India.

Dia Mirza – UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India:

i. Dia Mirza is 35 years old. She has been recognised by the United Nations for her contribution to environment conservation.

ii. As a Goodwill Ambassador, she will work with the UN to further spread the message on priority areas including clean air, clean seas, wildlife protection and climate change.

iii. UN Environment head, Erik Solheim congratulated Dia Mirza to the programme. Dia Mirza has joined the prestigious list of UN Environment Goodwill Ambassadors, which includes Hollywood stars such as Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Katy Perry and Emma Watson.

Some of the regional ambassadors of UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund):

♦ South Asia – India Aamir Khan (2014), Sachin Tendulkar (2013)
♦ Middle East and North Africa – Mahmoud Kabil (2004), Nancy Ajram (2009)
♦ Latin America – Diego Torres (2006), Ricardo Montaner (2007)

Ajay Kumar appointed secretary in Department of Defence Production

Ajay Kumar has been appointed as secretary in Department of Defence Production as part of a top-level minor bureaucratic reshuffle effected on 28 November 2017.

Ajay Kumar – secretary in Department of Defence Production:

i. Ajay Kumar is a 1985-batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre. He is at present additional secretary in Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. He has been appointed secretary in Department of Defence Production with effect from December 1, 2017.

ii. Raghvendra Singh, director general, National Archives has been made culture secretary. Pritam Singh, additional secretary in Corporate Affairs Ministry, will be director general, National Archives.

iii. Apurva Chandra will be additional secretary and director general (acquisition) in defence ministry. G C Murmu, additional secretary in Department of Financial Services, has been moved to the revenue department in the same capacity.

About National Archives of India (NAI):

♦ Purpose – repository of the non-current records of the Government of India
♦ Functions as – an Attached Office of the Department of Culture under the Ministry of Culture
♦ Location – Delhi

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Planet Labs to launch 4 satellites on board PSLV-C40

On 29^th November 2017, Planet Labs Inc, a US-based integrated aerospace and data analytics company, said four of its Dove satellites will be launched aboard India’s PSLV-C40 mission, scheduled to fly in January 2018.

Planet Labs to launch 4 satellites on board PSLV-C40:

i. The primary payload for PSLV-C40 mission is Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Cartosat-2 Series satellite, and Planet Lab’s four satellites will ride as secondary payloads.

ii. In February 2017, Planet Lab’s 88 Dove satellites travelled on the PSLV-C37 as part of ISROs record-breaking launch of 104 satellites.

iii. The four Dove satellites on the upcoming launch are tech demos responsible for testing improvements to several of the satellite subsystems, including camera technology, thermal control, and altitude determination & control system.

About Planet Labs:

♦ Founded – 2010
♦ Headquarters – San Francisco, U.S
♦ CEO – Will Marshall

North Korea tests “Hwasong-15” most powerful ICBM

North Korea has claimed that “Hwasong-15” test-fired on 29^th November 2017 is a new type of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that can strike anywhere on the US mainland.

Hwasong-15:

i. North Korea’s Hwasong series represents the most successful and formidable part of its ballistic missile arsenal. “Hwasong-15” was North Korea’s 20th launch of a ballistic missile in 2017.

ii. The missile was reported to have flown for 50 minutes on a very high trajectory, reaching 2,796 miles (4,500km) above the earth (more than 10 times higher than the orbit of the International Space Station) before coming down nearly 621 miles from the launch site off the west coast of Japan. This would make it the most powerful of the three ICBMs North Korea has tested so far.

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) of India:

♦ Agni-V – 5,500 – 8,000 km
♦ Agni-VI – 10,000 – 12,000 km
♦ Surya missile – 12,000 – 16,000 km

Manohar Parrikar launches farmer engagement app ‘Jai Kisaan’

On 29^th November 2017, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar launched the Jai Kisaan App, a farmer engagement app containing features and functions to fulfill the needs of the farmer community in India.

Jai Kisaan app:

i. The Jai Kisan app is a one-stop solution on agricultural information and cultivation, covering crop nutrition, protection, seeds, and diagnostic services.

ii. Its services include soil testing and customized information wherein farmers will have access to fertilizer recommendations on the basis of crop and target yields.

iii. Other benefits of the application include access to commodity market prices and a five day weather forecast, to assist the farmer in making critical decisions related to his farm income.

iv. The Jai Kisaan app has set a target of 10,000 user base by the end of March 2018. The Jai Kisaan App is a mobile solution from Adventz Group.

About Adventz Group:

♦ Indian conglomerate that contributes to India’s economic growth and prosperity through transformational change
♦ Founder Chairman – Late Dr. K. K. Birla

SPORTS

France beat Belgium to claim its 10th Davis Cup (tennis)

On 26^th November 2017, France won its 10^th Davis Cup title when France’s Lucas Pouille beat Belgium’s Steve Darcis by 6-3 6-1 6-0 to give France a 3-2 victory in the final against Belgium.

France won its 10th Davis Cup:

i. This is France’s first title since they beat Australia in 2001 before three defeats in the final in 2002, 2010 and 2014. Belgium, on the other hand has yet to win the title, having now lost three finals after defeats in 1904 and 2015.

ii. Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win a grand slam title, celebrated his third title as captain after leading France to victory in 1991 and 1996.

iii. France took the lead when the pair of Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, beat Belgian’s Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore in four sets.

About 2017 Davis Cup:

♦ Tournament between national teams in men’s tennis
♦ Edition – 106th
♦ Sponsored by – BNP Paribas
♦ Duration – 3 February – 26 November 2017

Competition Commission imposes Rs. 52.24 crore penalty on BCCI

On 29^th November 2017, the Competition Commission (CCI) imposed a fine of Rs 52.24 crore on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for anti-competitive practices with respect to the Indian Premier League.

Rs. 52.24 crore penalty on BCCI:

i. The Competition Commission had penalised the BCCI for the same amount in February 2013 as well, but that penalty was set aside by the appellate tribunal after an appeal by the BCCI.

ii. In its 44-page order, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had said the penalty of Rs 52.24 crore comes to nearly 4.48 % of the average of the BCCI’s relevant turnover during the last three financial years.

iii. Although at present, the average of BCCI’s turnover is slightly higher than the one which was considered by the CCI while passing the order in February 2013, CCI said it prefers to maintain the penalty amount.

About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):

♦ Founded – 1926
♦ Affiliation – International Cricket Council
♦ President – Vinod Rai

Odisha Chief Minister unveils logo & mascot of Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018

On 29^th November 2017, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled the logo and mascot for the Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.