Daily Current Affairs and GK | 6 November 2020

1. International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict: 6 November

• Every year on 6 November, International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict is observed.
• United Nations Environment Assembly has adopted a resolution on 27 May 2016 to recognize the importance of healthy ecosystems and sustainably manage natural resources to limit the risk of armed conflict.

2. Childcare expenses to be included in calculation of maintenance to deserted wives.

• On November 4, the Supreme Court held that childcare expenses would be included in calculating maintenance/alimony to deserted wives.
• Supreme Court also ruled that deserted wives and children will get alimony /maintenance from the date they file an application.
• In its 67 page judgment, the Supreme Court has laid guidelines for the amount of maintenance that should be paid by husbands to wives and children in matrimonial cases.
• The guidelines also deal with the overlapping of jurisdictions of courts in matrimonial cases. As per the current law, Maintenance cases should be settled in 60 days.
• The court also said that if husbands violate orders about maintenance, they may face civil detention and attachment of their property.
• The court also said that strict proof of marriage is not a prior condition for ordering maintenance under section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
• Section 125 of Criminal Procedure Code deals with the order for maintenance, which is to be paid to wives, children and parents.

3. ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh-2020’ launched.

• Joint naval exercise ‘Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh-2020’ has been launched by the navies of Bangladesh and US.
• The inaugural programme for CARAT Bangladesh 2020 was held online. Commander of Bangladesh Navy presided over the opening ceremony.
• Commander of US’s Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG-7) also spoke during the inaugural programme.
• Sea phase of CARAT Bangladesh 2020 will be held in the Bay of Bengal between two navies.
• People to people interactions and different professional exchanges have been part of CARAT exercises. This year, interactions and exchanges will be done online due to Covid 19. 
• Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Exercise CARAT):
  • Exercise CARAT is an annual bilateral exercise. United States Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT), a command of US Navy conducts it with several ASEAN members.
  • Currently, Exercise CARAT is conducted with navies of nine nations. Bangladesh is one of them.

(Source: News on AIR)

4. ‘International Satavadhanam’ event launched by Vice President.

• The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched the ‘International Satavadhanam’ program virtually.
• ‘Avadhanam’ is like a test of the poet’s literary prowess and involves solving tricky literary posers, improvising poems and tests a person's capability of performing such multiple tasks simultaneously.
• The event was organized by Dr. Medasani Mohan under the auspices of Sri Krishnadevaraya Satsang in Tirupati.
• Avadhanam is a literary performance popular from the very ancient days in India.

5. Virtual Bilateral Summit between PM Modi and Italian PM to be held today.

• Virtual Bilateral Summit between PM Modi and Italian PM Giuseppe Conte will be held today on 8 November.
• During the Virtual Bilateral Summit, several Government-to-Government and Private Sector agreements or MoUs will be signed.
• Italy is ranked at 5^th place among India’s largest trading partners in EU. Germany, Belgium, UK and France are ranked in first four places.
• In 2019, bilateral trade between India and Italy stood at 9.52 billion Euros. In the form of a virtual bilateral summit, two leaders will have the opportunity to comprehensively review broad framework of bilateral relations between India and Italy.

6. Government of Bangladesh, Beximco Pharmaceutical Ltd and SII sign MoU for priority delivery of 3 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses.

• Government of Bangladesh, Beximco Pharmaceutical Ltd and Serum Institute of India (SII) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for priority delivery of 3 crore COVID 19 vaccine doses.
• Health Minister of Bangladesh, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, other senior officials of Health Ministry of Bangladesh and the two companies were present at the signing of MoU.
• Health Minister of Bangladesh Zahid Maleque said that 1.5 crore people will be vaccinated from 3 crore COVID 19 vaccine doses as each person will require two doses of vaccine.
• High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami talked about reasons why vaccine from India. He said that vaccine from India is best priced and most suitable for distribution in Bangladesh.
• Development of COVID 19 vaccine is in the final stages at University of Oxford and AstraZeneca (a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company headquartered in UK).
• Beximco Pharmaceutical Ltd is a pharmaceutical company in Bangladesh.
• Serum Institute of India (SII) is a vaccine manufacturing company in India. It is headquartered in Pune and was founded by Cyrus Poonawalla.

7. SC says all insults are not offences under SC/ST Act.

• Supreme Court has said that all insults are not offences under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• The court said that insults based on the victim belonging to Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe will be offences under SC/ST Act, 1989.
• The court said that merely because complainant is a member of SC/ST does not make his/her insult an offence under SC/ST Act unless there is an intention to humiliate a member of SC/ST.
• These observations were made by a three-judge Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao while hearing appeal filed by Hitesh Verma, who was booked under the Act.
• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was passed on 9 September 1989.
• Under the act, Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules were notified by central government on 31 March 1995. The act has been amended in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018.

8. President of Nepal grants Indian Army Chief General M. M. Naravane honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army.

• President of Nepal, Bidya Devi Bhandari has granted Indian Army Chief General M. M. Naravane honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army.
• On 5 November, a special ceremony was held to confer (grant) Indian Army chief General M. M. Naravane honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army at President’s official residence ‘ShitalNiwas’ in Kathmandu.
• General M. M. Naravane was also presented a sword and scroll during the function. General M. M. Naravane is on a three-day visit to Nepal.
• In January 2019, President Ram Nath Kovind made Nepali Army chief General Purna Chandra Thapa honorary General of the Indian Army.
• Honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army:
  • The tradition of granting honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army was started in 1950.
  • In 1950, Gen. K. M. Cariappa became first Indian Army chief to be decorated with the title.

9. John Pombe Magufuli sworn in as President of Tanzania after disputed vote.

• John Magufuli became the president of Tanzania for another five-year term. It will be his second term as president. He belongs to ‘Party of the Revolution’ party.
• He has received 85% of the total votes polled.
• He has defeated CHADEMA’S Tundu Lissu, who get 13% vote in the election.
• Tanzania’s government consists of the president and the National Assembly. The president is elected by direct popular vote every five years.
• Tanzania:
  • It is located in Eastern Africa.
  • It shares borders with Uganda, Kenya, Comoro Islands, Indian Ocean, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Mount Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is the highest peak in Africa.
  • Its capital is Dodoma and the currency is the Tanzanian shilling.

(Source: The Standard)

10. Union Health Minister gave away Gandhian Young Technological Award.

• The Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan gave away the Gandhian Young Technological award to students.
• It has been given into the category of Students Innovations for Advancement of Research Explorations and Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technological Innovations.
• Fourteen awards and eleven appreciation awards were given under SITARE-GYTI. Seven awards and 16 appreciation awards under SRISTI-GYTI.
• The award was given after rigorous review by professors and Scientists.
• Gandhian Young Technological Innovation awards: It is given to students to encourage innovation in the field of engineering, science, technology and design. 
• The categories of the GYTI awards are:
  • SRISTI social technological Award
    Technological-Edge Award
  • BIRAC-SRISTI award for biotechnological/medical/healthcare innovation
  • ​SITARE-GYTI award
  • MLM (More from Less for Many) Award

11. PM Chairs Virtual Global Investor Roundtable meet.

• The Virtual Global Investor Roundtable conference 2020 has been chaired by the Prime Minister.
• PM said India has the potential to attract huge investments in different sectors. He added that if an investor wants a return with reliability, then they must become part of India’s growth.
• The Indian government has taken many steps to encourage investment in the country such as one nation one tax, low corporate tax, incentive for new manufacturing, Faceless regime for IT assessment and appeal, etc.
• Government of India has an ambitious plan to invest $ 1.5 trillion under the National Infrastructure Pipeline. It will create huge opportunities for investors to invest in infrastructure projects.
• India has opened up new possibilities in the field of Agriculture and Education. Government is planning to make India an agriculture export hub with the help of technology and modern processing solutions.
• India is also moving toward a sustainable economy, so it creates opportunities for investment in the field of clean energy, transport sector, etc.    
• India has seen a 13% rise in FDI inflows in the last five months.
• PM assured investors that the government would help them in every aspect.