09th November 2018 Current Affairs
Padur Strategic Petroleum Reserves to be filled by overseas National Oil Companies
- The Union Cabinet on Nov 8 approved filling of Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) at Padur, Karnataka, by overseas national oil companies in order to strengthen the oil reserves in the country.
- The SPR facility at Padur is an underground rock cavern with a total capacity of 2.5 million metric tonnes (MMT), with four compartments of 0.625 MMT each.
- Oil traders and producers could use the Padur storage to stock their oil and sell it to refineries in the region on commercial terms.
- India, which meets 83 per cent of its oil needs through imports, will have the right of first refusal to buy the crude oil stored the facilities in case of an emergency.
RBI will set-up a digital payments ombudsman
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may set-up an ombudsman for digital payments by March 2019 to reduce the burden on banking ombudsman.
- The number of complaints related to digital transactions has increased.
- These complaints are being handled by banking ombudsman.
- At present, RBI is in the process of creating a scheme for establishing offices for the digital payments ombudsman.
Anand conferred with ‘Global Education Award’
- Mathematician and Super 30 founder Anand Kumar was conferred with ‘Global Education Award’ in Dubai on 8 November 2018.
- He was awarded for his ‘pioneering’ contributions to the field of education and illuminating the lives of many talented students.
- The award was presented by ‘Malabar Gold & Diamonds’, a flagship company of Malabar Group, a leading Indian business conglomerate.
Jawahar Lal sarin conferred with France’s highest civilian honour
- Jawahar Lal Sarin was conferred with France’s highest civilian honour by French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler on 9 November 2018.
- He was given France’s highest civilian honour ‘Knight of the Legion of Honour’.
- He was awarded for his outstanding contribution to enhancing Indo-French cultural cooperation and promoting the French language.
NASA's space instrument Ralph set to visit Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids
- NASA’s Ralph and Lucy will be sent to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. Trojan asteroids are remnants from the earliest days of our solar system.
- Ralph is a space instrument that has travelled as far as Pluto, while Lucy is a mission payload, or the spacecraft which would be carrying various scientific instruments including Ralph to study the properties of the asteroids.
- The mission will be launched in 2021 and would be the very first space mission to study the Trojans.
Army inducts K9 Vajra guns, M777 Howitzer 30 years after Bofors
- Indian Army on Friday inducted three major artillery gun systems and equipments, including the M777 American Ultra-Light Howitzer and the K-9 Vajra at Deolali artillery centre in Maharashtra’s Nashik.
- It’s the first major induction of such guns since Bofors were inducted around 30 years ago.
- Moreover, 100 K-9 Vajra will be inducted at the cost of ₹4,366 crore by 2020.
Defence ministry enhanced financial power
- The Defence Ministry has enhanced financial powers to Vice Chiefs of the armed forces.
- The Vice Chiefs will be able to exercise financial powers up to five times more than the existing powers with an enhanced ceiling of 500 crore rupees.
- The move is aimed at expediting the decision-making process involved in the procurements for the Armed Forces.
Central Tribal University to be set up in Andhra Pradesh
- The Cabinet on 08 Nov approved setting up of a Central Tribal University in Andhra Pradesh.
- The ‘Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh’ will be set up in Relli village of Vizianagaram district as provided under the 13th schedule to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
India to hold its first 'non-official' talks with Taliban
- India is set to participate at a “non-official level” in a meeting held by Russia on Afghanistan where representatives of the Taliban will be present.
- India will be sending two former diplomats to the meeting.
- Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that India supports all efforts at peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan that will preserve unity and plurality.
Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum among 6 airports to be privatised
- The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its approval for leasing out six airports for operating, managing and developing under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
- The airports chosen are Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Trivandrum, and Guwahati.
- The government said that PPP model has helped Airports Authority of India in enhancing its revenue and developing airports in rest of the country.
Try out the quiz ?
Q.1 Read the sentences carefully
1. The Union Cabinet on Nov 8 approved filling of Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) at Padur, Karnataka, by overseas national oil companies in order to strengthen the oil reserves in the country.
2. The SPR facility at Padur is an underground rock cavern with a total capacity of 25 million metric tonnes (MMT), with four compartments of 0.625 MMT each.
3. India, which meets 83 per cent of its oil needs through imports, will have the right of first refusal to buy the crude oil stored the facilities in case of an emergency.
Which of the above sentences is /are correct
The Union Cabinet on Nov 8 approved filling of Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) at Padur, Karnataka, by overseas national oil companies in order to strengthen the oil reserves in the country. • The SPR facility at Padur is an underground rock cavern with a total capacity of 2.5 million metric tonnes (MMT), with four compartments of 0.625 MMT each. • Oil traders and producers could use the Padur storage to stock their oil and sell it to refineries in the region on commercial terms. • India, which meets 83 per cent of its oil needs through imports, will have the right of first refusal to buy the crude oil stored the facilities in case of an emergency.
Q.2 By which of the date RBI will set-up a digital payments ombudsman to reduce the burden on banking ombudsman?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may set-up an ombudsman for digital payments by March 2019 to reduce the burden on banking ombudsman.
Q.3 Who is conferred with ‘Global Education Award’ in Dubai on 8 November 2018?
Mathematician and Super 30 founder Anand Kumar was conferred with ‘Global Education Award’ in Dubai on 8 November 2018.
Q.4 Which of the following is conferred with France’s highest civilian honour?
Jawahar Lal sarin conferred with France’s highest civilian honour
Q.5 Which space instrument is to set to visit Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids?
NASA’s Ralph and Lucy will be sent to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. Trojan asteroids are remnants from the earliest days of our solar system.
Q.6 Where has Army got three major artillery gun systems and equipments, including the M777 American Ultra-Light Howitzer and the K-9 Vajra ?
Indian Army on Friday inducted three major artillery gun systems and equipments, including the M777 American Ultra-Light Howitzer and the K-9 Vajra at Deolali artillery centre in Maharashtra's Nashik
Q.7 Read the sentences Carefully
1. The Defence Ministry has enhanced financial powers to Vice Chiefs of the armed forces.
2. It's the first major induction of such guns since Bofors were inducted around 30 years ago.
3. The move is aimed at expediting the decision-making process involved in the procurements for the Armed Forces.
Which of the above sentences is/are correct
The Defence Ministry has enhanced financial powers to Vice Chiefs of the armed forces. The Vice Chiefs will be able to exercise financial powers up to five times more than the existing powers with an enhanced ceiling of 500 crore rupees. The move is aimed at expediting the decision-making process involved in the procurements for the Armed Forces.
Q.8 In which State central tribal University is going to set –up?
Central Tribal University to be set up in Andhra Pradesh
Q.9 India is set to participate at a “¬¬------------” in a meeting held by Russia on Afghanistan where representatives of the Taliban will be present.
India is set to participate at a “non-official level” in a meeting held by Russia on Afghanistan where representatives of the Taliban will be present.
Q.10 Which of the following Airort is going to privatise?
The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its approval for leasing out six airports for operating, managing and developing under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The airports chosen are Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Trivandrum, and Guwahati.
