Notes:
The world’s biggest toilet pot model was launched at Marora, popularly known as the ‘Trump village’, in Haryana on the World Toilet Day (WTD) on November 19, 2017 in a bid to create awareness towards sanitation and use of toilets. A mega pot of toilet is made up of iron, fibre, wood and plaster of Paris — measuring 20×10 feet. The nondescript village, with a population of 1800, in Mewat region was in June rechristened as ‘Trump village’ by NGO Sulabh International Social Service Organisation.

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Popular Bengali writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen has been has been declared winner of the 2017 Big Little Book Award in the “Author in Bengali Language” category for her contribution to the children’s literature. The Big Little Book Award, a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, seeks to recognise and honour authors and illustrators who have contributed to children’s literature that are global in appeal and contextual in nature. The award has been instituted under Parag initiative of Tata Trusts to promote children’s literature.

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The 8th edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit-2017 will be held at Hyderabad from November 28th. The summit is being co-hosted by India and the USA and for the first time it is being held in South Asia. This year the theme of the Summit is “Women First, Prosperity for All”. The event will focus on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally. It will focus on four areas- Energy and Infrastructure, Digital Economy and Financial Technology, Health and Life Sciences and Media and Entertainment. In it, women will represent 52.5% of entrepreneurs, investors and ecosystem supporters at the Summit. The summit will have participation from 150 countries and women from 127 countries are participating.

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India has been ranked 51st globally in terms of ability to attract, develop and retain talent while Switzerland topped the list compiled by leading global business school IMD. The annual IMD World Talent Ranking covered 63 countries and assessed the methods the countries adopted to attract and retain talent. The rankings are based on a country’s performance in three main categories – investment and development, appeal, and readiness – and India was ranked 62nd, 43rd and 29th on these terms. Globally, Europe continues to dominate the rankings, with Switzerland, Denmark, and Belgium being the most competitive countries. Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Luxembourg made up the top 10.

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The Hyderabad based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in association with the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) has developed Improved Samba Masuri (ISM) variety rice with low Glycemic Index. Rice with low Glycemic Index is considered suitable for people with diabetics. The new variety is also resistant to bacteria blight. The ISM has lowest Glycemic Index of 50.99 against the normal 53 to 70 in several rice varieties. It has shown better yield and fine grain type enhancing its market potential and profit for farmers. The scientists stated that the new variety is not a transgenic one and they did molecular breeding in CCMB and traditional rice breeding at the rice research institute. The ISM has been grown in 1.3 lakh hectares in 7 states including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The IIRR is a rice research institute located at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad.

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The sixth edition of India’s premier open water swimming competition ” Swimmathon” will be held at Colva beach in South Goa on December 3, 2017. The event had been accredited by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) as the national selection trials. This year, the event will have four categories for both men and women. Around 1000 participants are expected to participate in the event across various categories.

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The World Fisheries day (WFD) is celebrated every year on November 21 throughout the world by the fisherfolk communities holding rallies, workshops, public meetings, cultural programs and exhibition to highlight the importance of maintaining the world’s fisheries. The day helps in highlighting the critical importance to human lives, of water and the lives it sustains, both in and out of water. A recent United Nations study reported that more than two-thirds of the world’s fisheries have been overfished or are fully harvested and more than one third are in a state of decline because of factors such as the loss of essential fish habitats, pollution, and global warming.

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The exercise code-named India-Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise (IMBAX) has started at the Joint Warfare Centre at Umroi near Shillong in Meghalaya on November 20, 2017. The week-long Army warfare exercise by India and Myanmar is aimed at building and promoting closer relations with armies of the neighbouring countries. The six-day training exercise also aims to train the officers of Myanmar Army in various United Nations Peacekeeping roles and tasks.

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India and Russia have recently agreed to implement the general declaration for visa free entry of the crew of chartered and scheduled flights between the two countries. A pact on the issue was signed here recently by officials of the two countries. The agreement will facilitate visa-free entry, stay and exit of crew of aircraft of the designated airlines as well as other aircraft companies operating chartered and special flights in the respective territories on reciprocal basis. According to official estimates, around 1,200 scheduled flights ply between India and Russia every year. Moreover, about 1,100 Russian chartered flights arrive in India every year. A majority of them land in Goa with Russian tourists.

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President Ram Nath Kovind has inaugurated the Manipur Sangai Festival at Palace Compound in Imphal on November 21, 2017. The festival will reflect the State’s proud cultural heritage and the love for art which is inherent amongst various tribes inhabiting the State of Manipur. It will showcases the best of what the state has to offer to the world in terms of art and culture, handloom, handicrafts & fine arts, indigenous sports, cuisines & music, eco & adventure sports as well as the scenic natural beauty of the land. It is named after the State animal ‘Sangai’ the brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur. The galaxy of foreign dignitaries including ambassadors of South-East Asian countries and some western countries will also attend the inaugural function of the 10-day state festival. A two-day North-East Development Summit will also be opened by the President today as a part of the festival at City Convention Centre in the capital Imphal. As many as 175 delegates including official representatives of foreign countries and multi-national corporate firms are also attending the Summit.