The Daily Brief – 17th November 2019

The Daily Briefs are a comprehensive update of current affairs for the day. If you’d like to receive updates for current affairs every day, you’ll need to subscribe by entering your email address at the right side of this page. The previous Briefs can be accessed at the archives here.

1. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up a Development Council for Bicycle for vision planning in design, engineering and manufacturing of lighter, smarter, value added, safe and faster premium bicycles, which are comparable with global standards for exports and domestic market. The Secretary of DPIIT will head the 23-member Council, which is constituted for a period of two years.
   
2. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Ram Vilas Paswan released the Water Quality Report for State Capitals & Delhi as analysed by the Bureau of India Standards (BIS). As per the report in Delhi and 13 other state capitals, tap water is undrinkable, that is, the water did not comply with the requirements of the BIS and failed on several parameters. Only piped water drawn in Mumbai found to comply with all 11 parameters, while other cities failed in one or more.
3. The TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix (TRACE Matrix) 2019, which measures business bribery risk in 200 countries, was released by the TRACE International. India, with a score of 48, was ranked 78. Among the BRICS nations, South Africa is ahead of other countries with a score of 42. Bangladesh with a score of 72 was ranked 178, lowest in South Asia. The TRACE Matrix was originally developed in 2014 in collaboration with RAND Corporation and is updated annually by TRACE.
4. National Press Day is observed across India on 16^th November every year to mark the presence of an independent and responsible press in India. The day marks the establishment of the Press Council of India on 16^th November, 1966. It is the self-regulatory watchdog of the press, for the press and by the press and operates under the Press Council Act of 1978.
5. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has decided to establish a specialized unit in each battalion to help preserve monuments and other heritage structures in pre and post disaster scenarios. The NDRF is a specialized force constituted in 2006 for the purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.The NDRF is under the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), whose chairman is the Prime Minister of India.
6. Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Sisseri River Bridge, built by the Border Road Organization (BRO) at Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh on 15^th November, 2019. The 200-metre long bridge between Jonai-Pasighat-Ranaghat-Roing road will provide better connectivity between Siang and Dibang Valley. It will reduce the travel time from Pasighat to Roing by about five hours. Founded on 7^th May, 1960, the BRO develops and maintains road networks in India’s border areas and friendly neighboring countries.
7. Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the National Tribal Festival “Aadi Mahotsav” under the theme “Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Craft, Cuisine and Commerce” on 16^th November, 2019 at Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi. The 15-day event is being organized by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in association with the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED).

Check out the CLATGyan Test Series 2020 : 30 Simulated Online Tests + Personal Mentor | Run entirely by the students of NALSAR University of Law.

Today’s Quiz