Current Affairs in Short: 16 November 2021

Former Intelligence Bureau Special Director takes charge as Director General of CISF

•Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sheel Vardhan Singh on November 15, 2021, took charge as Director-General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Singh took charge at CISF headquarters at Lodhi Road, Delhi.

•The 1986-batch Bihar cadre officer Singh was serving as Special Director at the Intelligence Bureau prior to his appointment as the DG, CISF. On deputation to Intelligence Bureau, Singh served as Additional Director and Special Director.

•During 35 years of career, Singh has also held many sensitive and important positions in Bihar and during his central deputation to the Indian government. Singh has also served in the External Affairs Ministry at the Indian High Commission, Dhaka, Bangladesh as First Secretary.

•In 1986, Singh joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) at the age of 23. He was allotted Bihar cadre. Singh is BA Honors in English Literature.

•Singh has been decorated with President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2010 and President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2004.

Shombi Sharp appointed as UN Resident Coordinator in India

•Shombi Sharp on November 16, 2021, got appointed as the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in India after approval from the Indian government. Sharp has spent more than 25 years of his career promoting inclusive and sustainable development internationally.

•Prior to this, Sharp was serving as UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia. He has held several leadership positions at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) including Resident Representative in Armenia, Deputy Country Director in Lebanon, Deputy Resident Representative in Georgia, Regional HIV/AIDS Practice Team Leader for UNDP Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States in the Russian Federation, Assistant Resident Representative in the Russian Federation, and Programme Manager for the Western Balkans in New York.

•Sharp had begun his career with the international non-profit CARE International in Zimbabwe. He has been a US Agency for International Development (USAID) Policy Champion as well as a nominee for the UNDP Administrator’s Award.

Wholesale Price Index in India spikes to 12.54 per cent in October 2021

•The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in India released on November 16, 2021, showed the annual rate of inflation is 12.54 per cent (provisional) for October 2021 as compared to 1.31 per cent in October 2020.

•The increased rate of inflation in October 2021 is because of rise in prices of food products, basic metals, mineral oils, natural gas, crude petroleum, chemical products and chemicals, etc as compared to October 2020.

•The WPI Index in September 2021 was 2.28 per cent. The rate of WPI Index increased from 1.14 per cent in September 2021 to 3.06 per cent in October 2021.

6^th edition of Indo-France joint military exercise ‘Ex-Shakti 2021’ begins on November 16

•The 6^th edition of Indo-France joint military exercise ‘Ex-Shakti 2021’ began on November 16 at the French port town of Frejus. The 12-day long bilateral exercise will conclude on November 26, 2021.

•The Ex-Shakti 2021 will be focusing on Counter-Terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain under UN Mandate with an aim at enhancing inter-operability and military cooperation between both armies.

•The Indian Army is being represented by a platoon strength of a Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion whereas the French Army is being represented by troops of the 21^st Marine Infantry Regiment of the 6^th Light Armoured Brigade.

•The last edition of Ex-Shakti was conducted from October 31 to November 13, 2019 at Foreign Training Node in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan during which Counter-Terrorism operations in semi-desert terrain were conducted.

•India and France armies carry out three biennial training exercises namely Exercise SHAKTI with the Indian Army, Exercise VARUNA with the Indian Navy, and Exercise GARUDA with Indian Air Force.

Jaipur to host India, New Zealand T20I; Rohit Sharma to lead Team India

•India will face off New Zealand in the first T20I of the 3-match series on November 17, 2021 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The India-New Zealand T20I match will begin at 7 pm.

•Rohit Sharma will lead the Team India while KL Rahul will serve as the Vice-Captain. Virat Kohli has relinquished his T20 captaincy. Pacer Mohammed Siraj and Senior leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will return to the Indian squad for a series against New Zealand.

•Tim Southee will lead the Team New Zealand as visiting captain. Pacer Lockie Ferguson is expected to join the T20I series as well.

•During the 3-match series, the second match will be played at Ranchi and the third match will be played in Kolkata. The T20I series of India against New Zealand will mark the beginning of the tenure of new Head Coach Rahul Dravid.

Bangladesh writer Hasan Azizul Haque dies away at 82

•Renowned literary figure and short-story writer of Bangladesh Hasan Azizul Haque passed away on November 15, 2021. Born in 1939, Haque was 82-years-old.

•Hasan Azizul Haque was one of the most prominent literary figures of Bangladesh. He was conferred with the Ekushey Padak in 1999 and Bangladesh’s top civilian honour Independence award in 2019.

•He has also been awarded the Bangla Academy award, Ananda Sahitya Puraskar, and Adamjee Sahitya Puraskar in 2018 in Kolkata for his novel ‘Agunpakhi’.

•Haque was known for his short stories in Bangla namely ‘Jibon Ghoshe Agun’, ‘Atmoja O Ekti Karabi Gaach’, ‘Gotrahin’ and ‘Naamhin’.