Notes:
India will host the 50th edition of Union World Conference on Lung Health 2019 in Hyderabad from October 30 to November 2. The conference theme ‘Ending the Emergency: Science, Leadership, Action’ resonates with TB, but it will also raises awareness on all threats to lung health, including air pollution and tobacco abuse. It is expected to be attended by around 6,000 researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, political leaders, and UN and community representatives. The latest research into prevention, cure and vaccines will be presented at the conference. India has the highest TB burden in the world with one in four people ill with tuberculosis globally residing in the country.

Notes:
The North Sentinel Island is one of the Andaman Islands, which includes South Sentinel Island, in the Bay of Bengal. It is home to the Sentinelese who, often violently, reject any contact with the outside world, and are among the last uncontacted peoples to remain virtually untouched by modern civilisation. Recently, it is in news because the American national ‘John Allen Chau’ allegedly killed by people belonging to the protected Sentinelese tribe in the North Sentinel Island. It must be noted that North Sentinel Island and its buffer zone is strictly restricted under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956 under Indian Forest Act, 1927. In it, it is declared that the traditional areas occupied by the tribes as reserves, and prohibited entry of all persons except those with authorisation. Photographing or filming the tribe members is also an offence. The rules were amended later to enhance penalties. But restricted area permits were relaxed for some islands recently.

Notes:
The first-ever India Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue was held at St. Petersburg in Russia on November 25,2018. The Indian side is being led by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, with the Russian delegation headed by Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin. The two-day forum is also expected to bring together key business figures from both countries. The participants will discuss the development of bilateral ties in trade, investment, technology and industry. Some of the key areas of focus are as follows: transport, agriculture and agro-processing, Small and Medium Enterprises, digital transformation and frontier technologies and industrial cooperation.

Notes:
The World-class autism township will come up near Kolkata, where children and adults suffering from the developmental disorder can receive training, treatment and boarding facilities. It’s a one-of-its-kind initiative in India and will be built as a joint effort by private firm ‘Ratnabali Group’ & the West Bengal government. The estimated cost for building the township has been pegged at Rs 500 crore. Hence, the India Autism Center (IAC) – a non-profit organization under Section 8 of Companies Act, 2013 – is expected to come up over a 52-acre plot at Sirakol in South 24 Parganas by 2023. The IAC will have housing facilities for 350 residents and daycare centre for over 200 children, adolescents and adults. It will also have an administrative wing and a guest house, where parents of those receiving training at the institute can put up for a few days. The soft launch of the project has been scheduled for January 2019.

Notes:
Delhi-based artist Anupam Roy has won the FICA Emerging Artist Award 2018, which is granted by Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) for his large-scale drawings and paintings speak about systemic violence and injustice. As part of the award, he would receive a 90-day residency in Switzerland in 2019, supported by Pro Helvetia, which would help develop his practice and in forging further artistic collaborations. The FICA award, granted annually in collaboration with Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council, seeks to promote young artists who are studying or practising in India, and demonstrate extraordinary skill and promise in the visual arts. The FICA is a non-profit organization that aims to broaden the audience for contemporary Indian art, enhance opportunities for artists, and establish a continuous dialogue between the arts and the public through education and active participation in public art projects and funding.

Notes:
The Croatia Davis Cup team has won the 107th edition of the Davis Cup tennis tournament 2018. In the final at Lille’s Stade Pierre Mauroy, Marin Cilic clinched the title by defeating France’s Lucas Pouille 7-6(3) 6-3 6-3 to give his side a decisive 3-1 lead. This is Croatia’s second title. Their maiden victory happened in 2005 when they overcame Slovakia.

Notes:
The Karnataka government has launched an initiative ‘DataCity’ in partnership with France-based utility company Suez and a start-up accelerator Numa to foster innovation and solve global challenges. DataCity will be an international open innovation programme to bring city authorities, corporates and start-ups to address cities’ challenges and develop solutions using data and technology. The ‘DataCity’ is a 7-month programme that aims to bring together Bengaluru and corporates to identify relevant innovative start-ups from a pool of applications and to experiment with solutions using data. The areas of opportunity that could be explored during ‘DataCity’ are smart mobility, water and waste management, energy, smart buildings, security and pollution management.

Notes:
On 27th of November, Tamil Nadu has been adjudged the Best State in Organ Donation at the 9th Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD-2018) in New Delhi by the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare. It’s fourth time in a row, the state has received the best-performing state award for organ donation. Tamil Nadu is also the first State in India to have initiated mandatory certification of brain stem death, streamlining organ distribution and setting up green corridors. Apart from this, the State of Maharashtra received an award for being the best State for promoting awareness on organ donations. Dr Subramania Iyer K, AIMS, Kochi was felicitated for conducting first hand transplant in the country and Dr Shailesh Puntambekar, Pune, received the award for conducting 1st Uterine Transplant in India.

Notes:
Lijo Jose Pellissery has been conferred the Best Director Award for his 2018 film ‘Ee.Ma.Yau’. The film is a stunning satire on death and how it affects human lives. The Best Director gets the Silver Peacock Award and a cash prize of Rs 1.5 million (Rs 15 lakhs). Beside this, the Best Actor (Male) Award has gone to Chemban Vinod for his portrayal in Ee.Ma.Yau of ‘Eeshi’, a son who tries to arrange a worthy funeral for his father but is met with unpredictable obstacles and reactions from different quarters. Similarly, the Best Actor (Female) Award has gone to Anastasiia Pustovit for her portrayal of a ‘Larysa’, a teenage girl in the Ukrainian film ‘When the Trees Fall’. Both Best Actor (Male) and Best Actor (Female) are honoured with the Silver Peacock Trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1 million (Rs 10 lakhs) each.

Notes:
‘Walking with the Wind’, directed by Praveen Morchhale, has won the 2018 ICFT –UNESCO Gandhi Medal. The award is instituted by the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT), Paris and UNESCO. The criteria for the Gandhi Medal reflect UNESCO’s fundamental mandate of building peace in the mind of men and women, particularly human rights, intercultural dialogue, promotion and safeguard of diversity of cultural expressions. ’Walking with the Wind’ tells the story of a 10 year old boy in Himalayan Terrain, who mistakenly breaks his friend’s school chair. His daily 7 km long journey to school in mountainous terrain on a donkey, turns mammoth and challenging when he decides to bring the chair to his village.