CURRENT AFFAIRS 15-16th Nov., 2014

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CURRENT AFFAIRS 16th Nov., 2014

1. Annual G20 summit of 20 industrialised and major economies was hosted in Brisbane by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Russia's President Vladimir Putin leaves the ongoing Group of 20 summit in Australia earlier than scheduled as some leaders at the summit demanded Russia stop arming rebels in Ukraine.

2. World champion Magnus Carlsen defeated Viswanathan Anand in a very dramatic Game six in the World Chess Championship match at Sochi.

3. Foreign Investment Promotion Board approved the HDFC Bank proposal to raise foreign investment ceiling of the bank to 74 percent from 67.55 percent.

4. Union Ministry of Human Resource Development in its meeting headed by HRD minister decided to use Sanskrit as a third language in schools of Kendriya Vidyalaya (KVs) in place of German language.

5. China launched remote sensing satellite Yaogan-23 which was carried by a Long March-2c rocket, marking the 198th mission for Long March rocket family. The Yaogan-23 will be used mainly for scientific experiments, natural resource surveys, crop yield estimates and disaster relief.

CURRENT AFFAIRS 15th Nov., 2014

1. Important breakthrough was reached between the United States and India towards the full and immediate implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The agreement will lower the costs of trade for developed and developing countries alike.

2. India has drafted an UN resolution for an ‘International Day of Yoga’, also known as the ‘L Document’ and it was finalised with 130 countries co-sponsoring it. The resolution would proclaim June 21 as the ‘International Day of Yoga’. It would also recognise that wider dissemination of information about the benefits of practising yoga would be beneficial for the health of the world population.

3. Mitchell Johnson the Australian fast bowler was declared as the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the ICC Test cricketer of the Year. He has won the coveted Cricketer of the Year award for the second time in his career.

4. Central government has launched a modified Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL) scheme in 54 districts in 11 states whereby LPG consumers who have not yet availed the benefit will be able to get cash subsidy amount transferred into their accounts to buy Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders at market price. Each household is entitled to get 12 subsidized cylinders a year. This scheme will be implemented in the rest of India on January 1, 2015.

5. Bollywood actor-director Farhan Akhtar has become the first man to be appointed as UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia. He will serve as an advocate for UN Women’s newly-launched HeForShe initiative for gender equality and women’s empowerment.