Download : 26th Nov, 2017 – Current Affairs PDF
(Download older Current Affairs PDF’s here )
National Current Affairs
World’s First 3D Sanskrit Film Anurakthi Screened at 2017 IFFI Goa
The World’s first Sanskrit 3D film ‘Anurakthi’ is among the main attraction in 3D category at the ongoing International Film Festival of India in Panaji in Goa.
- A team of 10 Sanskrit scholars worked with the filmmaker to help deliver the correct dialogues.
- There were also dialect coaches to the actors to perfect the language.
- The main challenge for the artists in the movie was to present it in a contemporary setting and ensure the language can be followed by the viewers.
- The motto of making the film is to make the Sanskrit language relevant even for today.
- The movie directed by Asokan PK revolves around the traditional art form of Kerala, Koodiyattam.
Business
Trump Tower launched in Kolkata; developers aim Rs 700 crore sales
The iconic Trump Tower comprising 140 ultra-luxury apartments has been been launched in Kolkata and its Indian developers are expecting to garner around Rs 700 crore in sales from this project.
- This is the third Trump Tower to be launched in India.
- The construction cost would be around Rs 7,000 per sq ft in this project.
- Realty firms Unimark Group, RDB Group and Tribeca Developers have already sold about 50 per cent units since the project was soft-launched in mid-October. The starting price is Rs 3.75 crore for a 2,500 sq ft size flat.
- India already has Trump-branded project in Pune partnering Panchshil Realty. It tied up with Lodha group in 2014 for housing project in Mumbai.
IKEA opens first ‘Hej HOME’ in India at Hyderabad
The Swedish home furnishing retailer IKEA (Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd) launched its first experiential centre “IKEA Hej HOME” on 26th Nov 2017.
- IKEA has planned to open its first store in the India at Hyderabad by 2018.After the Hyderabad store, the second store will open in Mumbai during 2019, followed by Bengaluru and Delhi NCR.
- In India, IKEA currently has50 suppliers with 45,000 direct employees.
- The Hej Home, designed and set up over six-month duration, highlights what the retailer stands for and what to expect from an IKEA store.
- IKEA Hej Home reflects its understanding of life at home in India and its unique home furnishing solutions for homes.
- It also gives a peek into IKEA’s long-standing relationship with India, its history and philanthropic activities.
- It showcases the IKEA food and room settings based on its learning’s of Life at Home in Hyderabadi families, especially those living with children.
- IKEA has a commitment to hire 50% women co-workers at all levels in India.
Awards & Recognition
Golden Temple awarded ‘most visited place of the world’ -WBR
On 24th November 2017, the Golden Temple has been awarded the ‘most visited place of the world’ by ‘World Book of Records’ (WBR), a London-based organisation that catalogues and verifies world records.
- General secretary of WBR India chapter, Surbhi Kaul, and president of WBR Punjab chapter, Randeep Singh Kohli, gave this award to Shriomani Gurdwara Pharbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief secretary Roop Singh and other senior officials at Teja Singh Samundari Hall, Amritsar.
- He said on average more than one lakh devotees visit the shrine every day. He honoured the WBR team with ‘siropas’ and a model of the Golden Temple.
Appointments & Resigns
Lucknow to get first woman Mayor in 100 years
On 26th November 2017, Lucknow voters cast ballots to elect their first woman mayor in the ongoing civic body polls in Uttar Pradesh.
- All the parties fielded women candidates after the Lucknow mayoral seat was reserved for women. Prominent contestants out of 19 are Sayukta Bhatia (BJP), Prema Awasthi (Congress), Bulbul Godiyal (BSP), Priyanka Maheshwari (AAP).
- Uttar Pradesh is credited with giving India its first woman governor Sarojini Naidu and chief minister Sucheta Kriplani.
- Now, Lucknow is to elect its first woman mayor since the Uttar Pradesh Municipalities Act came was notified in 1916. Lucknow has thrice sent a woman to the Lok Sabha as its representative with Sheila Kaul being elected in 1971, 1980 and 1984.
Science & Technology
Aditya L1 Mission: ISRO’s first sun mission to take off in 2019
The India Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch first solar mission Aditya-L1 in 2019. It will be India’s first dedicated scientific mission to study sun.
- The mission aims to put 1,500-kg heavy class Aditya-L1 satellite into halo orbit around Lagrangian point L1, a point between Sun and Earth. This point is at a distance of about 1.5 million km from earth.
- The mission is a joint venture between ISRO and physicists from various institutes including Indian Institute of Astrophysics (Bengaluru), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Mumbai) and Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (Pune).
- Aditya L1 satellite will be launched by using PSLV XL. The launch will take in early part of next solar cycle.
- The satellite will be programmed to orbit L1 point and image sun’s magnetic field from space for very first time in world.
- Scientists hope to capture close-ups of sun from here, uninterrupted by eclipses for years.
- Objectives of mission
- Study dynamic nature of sun’s outer most layers, the corona and the chromosphere, and collect data about Coronal Mass Ejections CME).
- Study on origin of solar storms and their path through the interplanetary space from the Sun to the Earth.
- The studies will also focus on collection of information for space weather prediction.
World’s first AI Politician developed Iin New Zealand
Scientists of New Zealand have developed the world’s first artificial intelligence politician.
- This virtual politician was named as SAM. It was created by Nick Gerritsen, a 49-year-old entrepreneur in New Zealand.
- This politician can answer a person’s queries regarding local issues such as policies around housing, education and immigration.
- The AI politician is constantly learning to respond to people through Facebook Messenger as well as a survey on its homepage.
- By late 2020, when New Zealand has its next general election, Scientist Gerritsen believes that SAM will be advanced enough to run as a candidate. However, it is not legal for AI to contest elections.
Sports
Gopi Thonakal becomes 1st Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championship
Gopi Thonakal created history by becoming first Indian man to win Asian Marathon Championship.
- He achieved the feat in the 16th edition of the prestigious event held at Dongguan in China.
- He clocked 2 hours 15 minutes and 48 seconds to clinch gold medal.
- Uzbekistan’s Andrey Petrov won silver mdeal while Byambalev Tseveenravdan of Mongolia won bronze medal.
- It is a biennial international competition in marathon road running for Asian athletes.
- It is organised by the Asian Athletics Association.
- Gopi Thonakal has become the first Indian man to win the title after the formation of separate Asian Marathon championships.
- Earlier Asha Agarwal won the women’s title when it was part of the biennial Asian Track & Field Championships.
Virat Kohli – first captain to smash 10 international hundreds in a calendar year
Virat Kohli has become the first captain to score 10 international hundreds in a calendar year.
- On 26th November 2017, Virat Kohli struck his 19th hundred in Test as India played against Sri Lanka at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. It was also his fifth double hundred in Test cricket.
- Virat Kohli reached his fourth Test hundred in 2017 in just 130 balls. He scored his 51st career hundred in international cricket.
- He has now scored four centuries in Tests in 2017. He has managed to score 10 international hundreds (six in ODIs and four in Tests) in the calendar year of 2017.
- He had scored four consecutive double centuries in four successive Test series. He is the leading run-getter in the ODIs in 2017. He also has six hundreds in the 50-overs format. He also has nine fifties across formats.
Obituary
Om Prakash Saraf, former MLA from Jammu Kashmir, passes away at 95
On 25th November 2017, Om Prakash Saraf, former MLA of Jammu Kashmir, passed away in Jammu Kashmir.
- Om Prakash Saraf was the first person in Jammu Kashmir, who in his lifetime had decided to donate his body to the medical college. There was no cremation of his body. Instead, his body was handed over to the Government Medical College, Jammu.
- He founded Praja Socialist Party (PSP) in Jammu Kashmir and contested the first assembly election from Amirakadal assembly constituency in Srinagar in 1962 and the Lok Sabha election in Udhampur parliamentary constituency in 1977.
- He had been a member of the State Legislative Council in late 1970s. He was also a key founder of Janata Party in Jammu Kashmir.
Iranian Photographer Shahrokh Hatami dead at 89
On 25th November 2017, famed Iranian photo-journalist Shahrokh Hatami, died from pulmonary insufficiency, in France.
- Shahrokh Hatam began his career as a journalist for an Iranian newspaper.
- He has covered events as diverse, from major geopolitical events such as the 1979 Iranian Revolution to the cultural phenomenon of the Beatles in Liverpool at the start of their career in 1963.
- He was born in Tehran in 1928. He began as a reporter for a Tehran newspaper before switching to photography in 1950.
Important Days
Constitution Day – November 26, 2017
On 26th November 2017, Constitution Day was celebrated all over India.
- Constitution Day also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated in India on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of Constitution of India. It is also celebrated as the National Law Day.
- On 26th November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India. It came into effect on 26 January 1950, which is celebrated as the Republic Day to mark the anniversary of occasion.
- This year, the National Law Day was celebrated jointly by the Law Commission of India and NITI Aayog on over two days.
- This year, University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked Universities to read the Preamble to the Constitution in the morning assembly on the Constitution Day.