Top 5 Current Affairs: 28 November 2017

15th Finance Commission constituted under the chairmanship of NK Singh

The Union Government on 27 November 2017 constituted Fifteenth Finance Commission under the chairmanship of former bureaucrat NK Singh. The Commission will make recommendations for five years commencing on 1 April 2020.

Constituted under clause (1) of article 280 of the Indian Constitution, the commission came into force with the approval President Ram Nath Kovind.

The other members of the 15th Finance Commission are Shaktikanta Das, former Secretary to Union Government and Anoop Singh, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.

India, Russia sign anti-terror agreement

India and Russia on 27 November 2017 signed an agreement to help each other in combating terrorism. The agreement was signed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Moscow after they held wide-ranging talks.

This new agreement between India and Russia will replace the October 1993 agreement between both the countries. This agreement will help in expanding and deepening cooperation on issues related to internal security.


Former DEA Secretary Shaktikanta Das appointed as India’s G 20 Sherpa

Former Secretary in Department of Economic Affairs Shaktikanta Das has been appointed as India’s G 20 Sherpa till December 31, 2018 for the Development Track of the G20.

The decision came from the government as a result of suggestion from the Former Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a full-time Sherpa for G20 talks as India's role is expanding in the global arena.

Meredith Corporation to acquire Time Inc. for USD 2.8 billion

US media company Meredith Corporation on 27 November 2017 announced to acquire Time Inc., the publisher of Sports Illustrated and Fortune magazines, for USD 2.8 billion in all-cash deal.

Meredith will pay USD 18.50 for per share of Time Inc. which totals at about USD 1.85 billion. However, Time Inc.'s debt will raise the total value of the deal to about USD 2.8 billion.

Japanese Professor Hiroshi Marui conferred with 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist award

President Ram Nath Kovind on 27 November 2017 conferred the 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist Award to Professor Hiroshi Marui of Japan for his exemplary contribution to Indology.

Indology is defined as the academic study of the history, cultures, languages and literature of India and is a subset of Asian studies.