Daily Current Affairs- 8th November 2016

Dear Readers, we are presenting Daily Current Affairs for All Exams- 8th November 2016.

1. Vinod Rai appointed as Chairman of Fund Trustee and Advisory Commission of Kerala

1. Vinod Rai was appointed as the Chairman of Fund Trustee and Advisory Commission of Kerala.

2. He will be entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the funds of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) are properly utilised and the interest of investors is protected. 

3. Moreover, the board of the reconstituted KIIFB under Chairman Pinarayi Vijayan also decided to appoint Usha Thorat, former Deputy Governor of RBI and Prakash Bakshi, former Chairman of NABARD, as the other members of the FTAC.

4. The FTAC will have a two-year term and the members cannot be removed either by the government or the KIIFB. They will be removed from the FTAC if they are convicted for misbehaviour and corruption. 

2. Henri Kontinen and John Peers win 2016 BNP Paribas Masters Doubles title

1. Henri Kontinen and John Peers on 6 November 2016 won the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 team title at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.

2. Kontinen and Peers defeated top-seeded Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 to claim the title.

3. Petra Kvitova wins 2016 WTA Elite Singles Trophy

1. Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova on 6 November 2016 won the 2016 WTA Elite Singles Trophy. She defeated Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-2 to grab the title at Zhuhai, China.

2. Venus Williams was the defending champion for the title. However, she chose not to participate despite qualifying for the edition.

3. NASA’s MMS Mission creates Guinness World Record for highest altitude fix of GPS signal

1. NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission on 5 November 2016 set the Guinness world record for highest altitude fix of a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal at 70000 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.

2. Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission successfully completed commissioning activities on 1 September 2015 and is now in full science mode.

4. 128th birth anniversary of CV Raman observed

1. The 128th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Bharat Ratna Sir CV Raman was observed on November 7, 2016. Various functions including debates have been organized in schools and colleges across India to commemorate the day.

2. Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was born on November 7, 1888 at Thiruvanaikaval in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu. He died on 21 November 1970 (aged 82) in Bangalore. He had discovered Raman Effect, a scientific phenomenon of scattering of light which makes the sea and clear sky look blue.

5. Coradia iLint: World’s first zero-emissions hydrogen train unveiled in Germany

1. World first hydrogen-powered and zero-emission passenger train named as Coradia iLint was unveiled in Germany. The first of its kind ecofriendly train has been developed by French rail company Alstom. The Coradia iLint only emits excess steam and condensed water into the atmosphere.

2. Coradia iLint is powered by a hydrogen fuel tank fitted on its roof. The fuel cell is supplied with hydrogen and oxygen from the air. The fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into electric power. Excess electric is stored with onboard lithium batteries.

6. India ranks second in global business optimism index: Report

1. As per recently released report, India has was ranked second in the global business optimism index during the third quarter (July-September 2016). It was revealed by the Grant Thornton International Business Report. 

2. India has improved its ranking by one spot in the index. The report was prepared on the basis of a quarterly conducted global business survey of 2,500 businesses across 36 economies. Earlier in second quarter (April-June 2016) India was ranked third after being on top for two consecutive quarters.

7. Corp Bank inks pact with Indian Army

1. Corporation Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Army on the defence salary package.

2. Corporation Bank would provide free/ concessional services to the Army under the MoU. The services include free drafts, cheque books, funds transfers to any bank in India through RTGS/ NEFT, free ATM cards, unlimited transactions on all ATMs, including that of other banks. Free personal accident insurance cover of ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh up to the age of 70 years; air insurance cover of ₹50 lakh; and term life insurance cover of ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh are the other features offered under the MoU.

3. All the facilities, except term life insurance cover, are also extended to the pensioners.