Daily Current Affairs - 29 Nov 2020

Daily Current Affairs Capsule

29th November 2020

International

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: 29 November

The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is a UN-organized day held every year on November 29.

1. It is observed to mark the anniversary of resolution 181, wherein the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine on November 29, 1947.
2. The date November 29 assumes as on that day in 1947 the United Nations' General Assembly adopted a resolution on the partition of Palestine into two states: one Arab (Palestine) and one Jewish (Israel).
3. Palestinian people, who now number more than eight million, live primarily in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, including East Jerusalem.
4. The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People provides an opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the fact that the question of Palestine remains unresolved and that the Palestinian people have yet to attain their inalienable rights.

‘Quarantine’ named Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2020

Cambridge Dictionary has named ‘quarantine’ as Word of the Year 2020.

1. The word has been named the word of the year based on data that showed that it was one of the most highly searched words on the Cambridge Dictionary this year.
2. “Quarantine was the only word to rank in the top five for both search spikes and overall views (more than 183,000 by early November), with the largest spike in searches (28,545) seen in the week of March 18-24 .
3. Existing meanings of the word include: “a specific period of time in which a person or animal that has a disease, or may have one, must stay or be kept away from others in order to prevent the spread of the disease.”
4. Interestingly, ‘Lockdown’ had been named word of the year by Collins Dictionary earlier this month.

4th NSA-level meeting held between India, Sri Lanka and Maldives

The fourth National Security Advisor Level Meeting on Trilateral Maritime Security Cooperation was held between India, Sri Lanka and Maldives in Colombo.

1. The participants took stock of the current maritime security environment in the region.
2. They have discussed mutual cooperation in an array of areas including Maritime Domain Awareness, Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief, Joint Exercises and Maritime pollution.
3. India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives have agreed to broad base cooperation on a host of maritime security related issues.

National

PM visits Serum Institute, inspects vaccine production process

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Serum Institute in Pune.

1. During the 50-minute visit, Prime Minister Modi inspected the vaccine production process. Later, he had a discussion with the scientists and officials.
2. The Prime Minister reviewed the production process of Covid 19 vaccines across the country.
3. Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is undergoing Phase-3 trials.
4. Covishield vaccine is currently in the final stage of clinical human trials.
5. The Serum Institute of India has partnered with UK's Oxford University and British-Swedish Pharmaceutical Giant AstraZeneca in the manufacture and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate COVISHIELD in India.

SpiceJet launches dedicated freighter services to Leh in Ladakh

Airline major SpiceJet launched dedicated freighter services connecting Leh with the rest of the country.

1. Accordingly, the airline operated its first freighter flight from Delhi to Leh carrying 13 tonnes of cargo supplies.
2. The flight was operated by SpiceXpress, the dedicated cargo arm of SpiceJet.
3. According to the airline, a Boeing 737 freighter has been deployed on this route.
4. Besides, the new flights launched are seasonal and will operate during the winter months when surface transportation is disrupted owing to harsh weather conditions.

Karthigai Deepam festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, the famous Kartikai Deepam festival was celebrated.

1. In the famous Thiruvannamalai Sri Arunachaleswarar temple, the Bharani dweep was lit up.
2. Karthigai Deepam is celebrated on the Pournami (Purnima) Tithi of the Tamil month of Karthigai. And like Diwali, it is a festival of lights.
3. The Tiruvannamalai Temple is known for its Karthigai Deepam festival.

LG Manoj Sinha releases Panchayat Newsletter "Parivartan" first ever publication in five official languages of J&K

In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has released Panchayat Newsletter "Parivartan"- a first ever publication in five official languages of J&K at Raj Bhavan, Jammu.

1. The LG appreciated the initiative of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj for coming out with a publication in all the five official languages of J&K, viz Dogri, Urdu, Kashmiri, Hindi and English, highlighting the progress being made under Back to Village-3 and 21 day long Jan Abhiyan programmes.

Ladakh LG inaugurates curtain raiser event of IISF-2020

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor, R. K. Mathur has inaugurated curtain raiser event of India International Science Festival (IISF)-2020 in Leh.

1. In a virtual event, organised at Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Mr. Mathur underlined the importance of taking science and technology to remote parts of the country while highlighting the requirements of adaptations of science and technology for sustainability in environmentally fragile places like Ladakh.
2. India International science festival launched in 2015 is a celebration to promote science and technology and how science could lead India towards a developed nation.
3. IISF 2020 will be organized on a virtual platform.

India enters recession as GDP contracts 7.5% in July-September

The Indian economy has officially entered a technical recession, with two consecutive quarters of negative growth in gross domestic product (GDP).

1. Real GDP for the September quarter contracted 7.5 per cent year-on-year, on the back of the steep contraction in manufacturing, construction, and services, data released by the National Statistical Office showed on November 27.
2. However, the data also showed that the country has begun its gradual recovery following the nationwide lockdown in April, May, and June which had flatlined the economy.
3. The real GDP for April-June 2020 had contracted 23.9 per cent, the steepest fall ever (and the first contraction in 40 years).

Deaths

Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh assassinated

Iranian state television reported that the country's top nuclear scientist - Mohsen Fakhrizadeh - has been ''assassinated''.

1. The high-level nuclear scientist is referred to as "Iran’s Robert Oppenheimer" and is known as the "father" of Iran's nuclear programme.
2. Fakhrizadeh has long been described by Western, Israeli and Iranian exile foes of Iran’s clerical rulers as a leader of a covert atomic bomb programme halted in 2003.
3. Iran has long denied seeking to weaponize nuclear energy.