CURRENT AFFAIRS (21/11/2018)

(1.) Indo-US joint military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ begin in Jaipur

On November 19 2018 ‘Vajra Prahar’,a 12-day long joint military exercise between India and the United States was started in Jaipur.

i. US contingent comprises of an United States Pacific Commander and 10 other ranks from the Special Forces Group arrived at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges on November 18 and informed Rajasthan Defence PRO Lt Col Sombhit Ghosh for undertaking Joint training with the Indian Special Forces.
ii. Both forces train on different aspects including hostage rescue, building intervention, desert survival, medical aid and combat firing and also undertake a three-day outdoor exercise to validate their practices.

(2.) P.M Modi laid foundation of India’s first Sri Vishwakarma Skill Development University in Palwal, Haryana

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of India’s first Sri Vishwakarma Skill Development University in Palwal district of Haryana.

Key Points:
i. Prime Minister also inaugurated two projects in Haryana:

• Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE), also known as the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal stretch.
• 3.2 km-long Escorts Mujesar-Ballabgarh corridor of Delhi Metro’s Violet Line

ii. WPE is expected to divert over 50,000 heavy vehicles away from Delhi. It is 136-kilometre long. It is a six-lane expressway. It has been built at a cost of over Rs 6,400 crore.
iii. It will offer high-speed link between northern and southern districts of Haryana.
iv. Escorts Mujesar-Ballabhgarh corridor of the Delhi Metro will make commuting easy for over 2 lakh people.
v. Ballabhgarh will be the fourth city in Haryana to be connected by metro. This makes the total length of Metro to 29 kilometres in Haryana.
Some National Parks in Haryana:
♦ Sultanpur National Park
♦ Kalesar National Park

(3.) 27th BASIC Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change held in New Delhi

On 19th and 20th November 2018, the 27th BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change was held in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. The meeting was chaired by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India.
ii. Ministers welcomed the 184 ratifications, till date, of the Paris Agreement adopted under the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
iii. Ministers listed their priorities under the Paris Agreement Work Programme to ensure implementation of the global climate deal after 2020.
iv. Negotiations were focused on finalising rules and guidelines for various elements of Paris Agreement including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), adaptation, transparency framework, global stock-take (GST), compliance mechanism, climate finance, technology framework and capacity building at COP24 (December 2-14).
v. Brazil will host the 28th BASIC Ministerial Meeting in 2019.

(4.) 8th 2- day National Conference of Women in Police held in Ranchi

On 19th & 20th November 2018, Bureau of Police Research & Development in collaboration with Jharkhand Police organised the two days National Conference of Women in Police (NCWP) in the state capital of Jharkhand, Ranchi.
Around 150 women police personnel from across the country are expected to participate in the event. It is the only national level platform to address the issues of Women Police and create an enabling atmosphere for them to maximize and optimize their professional potential.

(5.) 24th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival

From 10th to 17th November 2018, 24th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF 2018) was held in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Key Points:
i. KIFF 2018 was inaugurated at Netaji Indoor Stadium, in Kolkata, by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. A Bengali film directory with the movies from 1917 to 2017 was launched.
ii. Highlight of the festival was 100 years of Bengali cinema. Australia was the focus country for KIFF 2018.
iii. Nearly 171 movies and 150 short films from 70 countries were screened in 16 screens.
iv. A centenary tribute was given to French film critic André Bazin and Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.
v. ‘Antony Phiringi’ was the inaugural movie. A special theatre play named ‘Hirala Bioscope’ was staged.
Award winners:

• Vietnamese film The Third Wife – Best Film award (Rs 51 lakh)
• Abu Bakr Shawky – Best Director award (Rs 21 lakh)
• Widow of Silence – Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for Best Film in Indian Language category
• Arijit Biswas – Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for Best Director (5 lakh)
• The Sweet Requiem – Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Asian Select Award.