Daily Current Affairs, 30th November 2018

1) 8 More States Achieve 100% Household Electrification Under Saubhagya Scheme

•8 more States have achieved hundred percent household electrification under “Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana- Saubhagya”. The states are Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Sikkim, Telangana, and West Bengal. 15 States now have 100 percent household electrification, according to Power Minister RK Singh. The government is hopeful of achieving the same for every household across the country by December-end.

•The scheme was launched in September last year with the objective to provide access to electricity to all the remaining households in the country. The Minister informed that as many as 2.1 crore connections have been released under Saubhagya so far.

2) NITI Aayog Organisez Dialogue On Health System For New India

•NITI Aayog has begun a series of Development Dialogues to engage experts, thought leaders and government stakeholders across key avenues of long-term social and economic development.

•The first event was a conference on “Health Systems for A New India: Building Blocks”. The conference featured senior government functionaries and eminent national and international experts in the healthcare space.

3) India To Chair Kimberley Process From January 2019

•The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) Plenary 2018, was held in Brussels, Belgium, in November 2018. EU handed over the Chairmanship of KPCS to India from 1st January 2019. This year was the fifteenth anniversary of KPCS.

•The next Intersessional session is slated to be held in India as Chair. Botswana and the Russian Federation will serve as Vice-Chair during the period of 2019-2020.

4) President Of India Inaugurates The 2nd International Ambedkar Conclave

•The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the 2nd International Ambedkar Conclave in New Delhi as part of the commemoration of Constitution Day.The Conclave is being organized by the Forum of SC and ST Legislators and Parliamentarians and the Dr. Ambedkar Chamber of Commerce.

5) One-Third of the World’s Stunted Children from India: Report

•India is facing a major malnutrition crisis as it holds almost a third of the world’s burden for growth inhibition, according to a global nutrition report. With 46.6 million children who are stunted, India tops the list of countries followed by Nigeria (13.9 million) and Pakistan (10.7 million). Stunting, or low height for age, is caused by long-term insufficient nutrient-intake and frequent infections.

•India also accounted for 25.5 million children who are wasted, followed by Nigeria (3.4 million) and Indonesia (3.3 million). Wasting, or low weight for height, is a strong predictor of mortality among children under five. It is usually the result of acute significant food shortage and/or disease.

6) IAF, US Air Force To Conduct Joint Exercise ‘Cope India 2019’

•Air forces of the United States and India are set to participate in a 12-day joint exercise ‘Cope India 2019’ at two air force stations in West Bengal. The exercise will be held from December 3 to 14, at Air Station Kalaikunda and Air Station Arjan Singh (Panagarh).

•The exercise showcases efforts and commitment of the two nations to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, a communique from the US Consulate said. The Cope India exercise is being held after a gap of eight years, with the last one having taken place in 2010.

7) EU Aims to Be First Carbon Neutral Economy By 2050

•The European Commission is the first major economy to set its sight on achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The EU’s climate chief, Miguel Arias Canete, cited a recent scientific report that warned of deadly consequences for many species on Earth from rising temperatures.

•The European Union’s executive branch proposed that the bloc should cut its emissions of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, a measure scientists say needs to be adopted worldwide in order to avoid catastrophic global warming.

8) Asia Pacific Screen Awards: Nawazuddin And Nandita Das Received Awards

•Asia Pacific Screen Award (APSA) 2018 for Best Performance by an Actor (Male) went to Nawazuddin Siddiqui for Manto. Nandita Das, director of the movie herself received the prestigious International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) Award for achievement in film in the Asia Pacific region.

•The 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) were given out at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) in Brisbane, Australia. The awards ceremony was hosted by Australian actress Sofie Formica and New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis.

9) National Shooting Championship: Esha Singh Win 3 Gold Medals

•India’s 13-year-old shooter Esha Singh won the Women’s, Youth Women’s and Junior Women’s 10m Air Pistol competitions at the National Shooting Championship at Thiruvananthapuram.

•She beat Manu Bhaker and Heena Sidhu to win three gold medals in women’s air pistol events at the 62nd National Shooting Championships. The Telangana shooter prodigy shot 241.0 in the women’s final to leave behind Bhaker, who finished second with 238.9. Heena Sidhu finished 6th with a score of 154.9.