Notes:
Shaukat Kaifi (93), the veteran Bollywood actor and Shabana Azmi’s mother, has passed away  in Mumbai on 23rd November 2019. Kaifi’s husband “Kaifi Azmi” was the celebrated Urdu poet and film lyricist. She and her husband were leading lights of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) and the Progressive Writers Association (IWA), which were the cultural platforms of the Communist Party of India (CPI). Also credited as Shaukat Azmi, Kaifi’s acting credits include ‘Bazaar’, ‘Umrao Jaan’ and Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated film ‘Salaam Bombay’. Her last film was Shaadi Ali’s ‘Saathiya’.

Notes:
Manisha Kulshreshtha, the noted writer from Rajasthan, has been conferred the 28th Bihari Puraskar for 2018 for her novel ‘Swapnapash’. The award is presented by the KK Birla Foundation and is for writers of Rajasthani origin. It is given annually to an outstanding work in Hindi or Rajasthani published in the past 10 years. The award is named after famous Hindi poet Bihari. It carries a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh, a citation, and a plaque.

Notes:
The people of Bougainville have started casting vote in a referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea (PNG). If the vote for independence passes, the autonomous province with 206,000 people could become the world’s newest independent nation. The referendum is part of a peace deal in 2001 that ended a bloody civil war between Bougainville and PNG. The referendum presents two options, either greater autonomy from PNG, or complete independence. However, the referendum is nonbinding and a vote for independence would require ratification from the Papuan Parliament. Bougainville  is the small archipelago of Pacific islands.  Its history includes colonial exploitation, attempts at independence, a 9-year war and a gradual peace process.

Notes:
The Living Root Bridges (LRB) (or jing kieng jri) are the aerial bridges built by weaving and manipulating the roots of the Indian rubber tree. They have been serving as connectors for generations in Meghalaya. These bridges spans between 15 and 250 feet and are built over centuries. Primarily, the bridges are a means to cross streams and rivers & have also become world-famous tourist attractions. Now, new research investigates these structures and proposes to integrate them in modern architecture around the world, and potentially help make cities more environment-friendly. 

Notes:
The Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has launched a special winter-grade diesel for high altitude regions such as Ladakh, Kargil, Kaza and Keylong. This unique winter-grade fuel has been engineered to perform in extremely cold weather conditions. It will help provide year-round access to grueling regions and will work as a catalyst in the country’s efforts to speed up strategic road connectivity. This special fuel produced by Panipat refinery is capable of remaining unfrozen up to minus 33 degree Celsius. It also meets BIS specification of BS-VI grade diesel.