1. France and Russia join hands to fight ISIS militants

(i) In an unusual alliance,Russia and France have agreed to co-ordinate military and security services in Syria in order to counter increasing atrocities of Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria. The terror outfits recent incidents include the brutal attacks in Paris and the bombing of the Russian plane in Egypt.  

(ii) On November 17, France and Russia bombed IS targets in Syria. Warplanes from the two countries led attacks on the IS stronghold area of Raqa. The aim is to end the Syrian war that has been going on for around five years.

2. Ukraine free trade zone to be a reality by 2016: EU

(i) European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko recently met in Kiev wherein the latter confirmed that an EU-Ukrainian free trade zone will be launched on January 1, 2016. 

(ii) The deal between EU – Ukraine was supposed to take effect from this January however Russia  objected to it and still continues to oppose the EU-Ukrainian integration. 

(iii) EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said, “Once implemented, the EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) would send a powerful signal that the regulatory environment in Ukraine is modern and efficient”.

3. India ranks 108 on World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 

(i) As per the World Economic Forum’s recently released Global Gender Gap Index, Iceland is placed first followed by Norway, Finland and Sweden. 

(ii) Among the developing countries, Brazil was ranked 85th, China was ranked 91st and India stood at 108th. However, index marked a six-point improvement for India; from the previous 114th position last year. 

(iii) The Global Gender Gap Index is developed on the basis of the gap between men and women in a country across four parameters, namely, economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.

4. Union Cabinet signs Tripartite Agreement with Brazil and South Africa for IBSA Fund

(i) The Union Cabinet approved the signing of Tripartite Agreement between India, Brazil and South Africa for the IBSA Fund aimed at poverty and hunger alleviation. 

(ii) The IBSA Fund for Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger was set up in 2004 as one of the three pillars of cooperation under IBSA Dialogue Forum and since then India has contributed $9.1 million for the fund. 

(iii) It has a total of $28.2 million contributed by IBSA members till January 2015.

5. Syed Akbaruddin is India’s permanent representative to UN

(i) Syed Akbaruddin, who recently served as the chief coordinator of the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) held in India in October 2015, was appointed as the  new permanent representative of India to the United Nations.   

(ii) Akbaruddin, who is an Indian Foreign Service official of 1985 batch, is expected to replace Asoke Kumar Mukherjee, who will retire soon. 

(iii) Akbaruddin has previously successfully served as the spokesperson of the External Affairs ministry.

6. November 26 to be observed as Constitution Day in India

(i) In a first, November 26 will be observed as the Constitution Day in India this year.

(ii) As per the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s notice, all schools will engage in activities that would increase understanding of the constitution. 

(iii) On November 26, 1949, the Indian Constitution was adopted in the Constituent Assembly and it came into force on January 26, 1950, which is thus celebrated as the Republic Day.

7. Rs.2,000 crore for rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants

(i) The Union Cabinet recently approved a proposal worth Rs.2,000 crore in order to rehabilitate Kashmiri migrants in the country. 

(ii) Further, the cabinet approved increasing monetary relief to migrants in the hills of Jammu, who will get a monthly assistance of Rs.2500 per head, an improvement vis-a-vis the existing Rs.400. 

(iii) This step will benefit about about 62,000 Kashmiri Pandit migrants families registered with the government. Jobs and transit accommodation will also be provided for these migrants in J&K.

8. India’s first AMRIT outlet inaugurated in New Delhi 

(i) The Union Health Minister J P Nadda inaugurated India’s first Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacy outlet in AIIMS, New Delhi. 

(ii) The AMRIT outlet will provide drugs for cancer and cardiovascular diseases at a discounted rate making it highly affordable for scores of patients. 

(iii) The outlet is expected to have 202 drugs of cancer and cardiovascular diseases with discounted price on an average by 60 – 90 per cent.

9. 50 of UP’s 75 districts battle severe drought

(i) Recently, Uttar Pradesh declared 50 of its 75 districts as drought-hit. 

(ii) The districts which received less than 60 percent rainfall this year during the months of June – September or those in which 33 percent crops were ruined have been added in the list of drought-hit districts.

(iii) The decision to this effect was announced based on the recommendations of a natural calamity committee of the state.

10. Centre grants Odisha Rs.456 crore under AMRUT scheme 

(i) Nine cities from Odisha are to get Rs.456 crore from the Centre under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme for development of basic infrastructures during 2015-16. 

(ii) The AMRUT scheme will cover cities of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Rourkela, Bhadrak, Balasore and Baripada. The scheme will not just cover infrastructure development but the water systems and sewage systems in these cities will also be looked into.

11. Former RAW cheif, Shankaran Nair passes away

(i) Former chief of India’s external intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), K Shankaran Nair, passed away in Karnataka, aged 94. He was credited for covert operations which helped in the liberation of Bangladesh.  

(ii) Nair, was initially inducted into Indian (Imperial) Police, which today is the Indian Police Service. Later, he was a part of the Intelligence Bureau and then was inducted into RAW in 1968.

12. November 19 observed as World Toilet Day 

(i) Every year since 2013, November 19, is marked as the World Toilet Day in order to generate awareness and motivate millions to follow basic sanitation practices. 

(ii) The theme for 2015 was ‘Nutrition and Sanitation,’ which focusses on toilets as a means to support better health, better hygiene, thereby better nutrition.

(iii) Nutrition is related to potable drinking water and cleanliness as well as proper hygienic practice. 

(iv) As per UN figures, 2.4 billion people around the world do not have access to decent sanitation and more than a billion are forced to defecate in the open, risking disease and other dangers.

13. Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson to retire from international cricket 

(i) Australian fast baller Michell Johnson announced that he will retire from all forms of international cricket. 

(ii) The 34-year-old bowler is the fourth-highest wicket taker in Test matches, and has the record of taking 313 wickets in 73 matches besides 239 wickets in ODIs.

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