Current Affairs Daily Updates: 8 November 2014

1) Laxmikant Parsekar sworn-in as new Goa Chief Minister:  Three-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Laxmikant Parsekar ,who was Health Minister in the Manohar Parrikar government, was on 8 November 2014 sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Goa, bringing down the curtain on a three-day drama. Governor Mridula Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Parsekar and nine Ministers, including two from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, the BJP’s ally.

2) Manohar Parrikar resigned as Goa CM: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is tipped to become the Union Defence Minister, on 8 Nov 2014 tendered his resignation from the post paving way for the appointment of his successor in the state. Parrikar faxed his resignation to State Governor Mridula Sinha at Raj Bhavan on Saturday afternoon, after meeting the Archbishop. The two-paragraph resignation letter was faxed from his official residence at Altinho in Panaji.

3) PM Modi to expand his council of ministers on 9 November 2014: As many as 20 new faces are expected to be inducted into the Union Council of Ministers on Sunday in the first revamp exercise which is likely to bring in BJP leaders Manohar Parrikar, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Bandaru Datttatreya while elevating a few. While a TDP representative is sure to be inducted, last-minute problems appeared to have cropped up over a Shiv Sena member joining the ministry in view of unresolved issues in Maharashtra. Five months after taking over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is undertaking an expansion and reshuffle of his Cabinet in which Parrikar appears all set to get Defence portfolio which is now held as an additional charge by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The swearing-in of the new ministers will take place at 1.30 PM on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The current strength of the Council of Ministers is 45 - 23 of Cabinet rank, including the Prime Minister, and 22 Ministers of State.

4) Sachin Tendulkar's “Playing It My Way” sets new record in India: Even after retirement, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar continues to break records and set new benchmarks. The 41 year old's latest achievement came off the field as his autobiography “Playing It My Way” accumulated the highest pre-orders in the fiction and non-fiction category in India. Tendulkar's book overtook Steve Jobs' biography (by Walter Isaacson) as the best-selling book in India. The cricketer managed this feat in less than day of the book being launched in Mumbai.

5) Literary critic B. Hridayakumari passed away: B. Hridayakumari, winner of the Kerala Sahitya Academy award and a literary critic, died at a private hospital on 8 November 2014. A respected figure in the social milieu of Kerala, she was the former principal of the Government Women's College. She headed a committee constituted by the Kerala State Higher Education Council to suggest improvements and reforms to the choice-based credit-and-semester system.

6) Salgaocar lifts Durand Cup 2014: Salgaocar FC scored a solitary goal win over Pune FC to emerge Durand Cup champions for the third time in Margao on 8 Nov 2014. Salgaocar, who enjoyed better ball possession, scored the all important goal in the 21st minute through Thangjam Saran Singh at the Raia Panchayat ground. The winner was richer by Rs. 25 lakh while Pune FC got Rs. 15 lakh.

7) Anand draws first game against Carlsen in World Championship: Indian ace Viswanathan Anand played out a fighting draw with defending champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the first game of the World Chess championship in Sochi.

8) Kohli nominated for ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year Award: Virat Kohli is the lone Indian male cricketer to be shortlisted for the LG ICC Awards 2014 after he was nominated for the ODI Cricketer of the Year category. Kohli had earlier won this award in the year 2012. Kohli will be fighting for the honour against three South Africans -- Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn. De Villiers had won this award in 2010.

9) Tejas PV6, 2-seater trainer jet makes its maiden flight: The final version of the two-seater trainer jet Tejas (PV-6) made its maiden flight on Saturday, in a milestone for India's overall indigenous Light Combat Aircraft programme.

10) Rajnath Singh, Netanyahu review cooperation in combating terror: Contending that terror is a global menace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Tel Aviv have reviewed existing cooperation and future possibilities of enhancing engagement in dealing with the threat. Both the leaders also expressed their countries' keenness to strengthen ties, with Netanyahu emphasising that he "believes that relations between the two countries were poised for rapid development" following his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September in New York.

11) India bag 13 medals in Rapid event in Asian Youth Chess: Putting up a dominating show, India bagged 13 medals, including four golds, out of a possible of 18 in the Rapid event on the opening day of the Asian Youth Chess Championships, in New Delhi on Saturday.