National
1. For the first time in the history of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), two women officers reached the rank of Inspector General (IG). Two women officers who were recently promoted to the rank of Inspector General are IG Seema Dhundiya and IG Annie Abraham. While IG Seema Dhundiya will head the Bihar Sector of CRPF, IG Annie Abraham will head the Rapid Action Force (RAF).
2. Invest Karnataka 2022 summit was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently. The Invest Karnataka 2022 summit is a global investment summit that is organized in Bengaluru to attract foreign investments and create a development plan for the next decade. The three day summit commenced on 2nd November this year.
3. On the occasion of the 66th foundation day of Kerala, the state government kicked off a digital resurvey to ensure speedy delivery of land-related services to people. The proceedings of the resurvey of land was launched by the Kerala Government in 1966. However, it was never completed because of the lack of modern technology and limitations of traditional systems.
4. A single income tax return (ITR) form was proposed for all taxpayers. The draft of the proposed form was unveiled recently by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to receive public inputs until 15th December. The common ITR form can be used by all taxpayers except trusts and non-profits, it merges all existing ITR forms except ITR-7.
5. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently inaugurated Yotta D1 - India's second and North India's first hyper-scale data centre in Greater Noida. Yotta D1 is the first of the 6 data centre buildings currently being built in the Greater Noida data centre park. The first data centre was operationalized in just 20 months with an investment of around Rs. 1,500 crore.
6. Union Home Ministry recently notified an order granting citizenship to religious minorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan residing in Anand and Mehsana districts in Gujarat. The recent notification will benefit migrants who entered India via passport or visa and already applied for citizenship under Section 5 (by registration) and Section 6 (naturalization) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
7. The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT recently approved the greenfield Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Pune. Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) is a manufacturing cluster designed and developed to provide the necessary facilities and amenities for manufacturing electronic products like mobile phones, cables, etc.
8. The Vigilance Awareness Week 2022 is being observed between 31st October to 6th November this year. The Vigilance Awareness Week is a week-long observation, under the Central Vigilance Commission. It aims to raise public awareness of the dangers of corruption.
9. The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the biggest ever coal mine auction on 3rd November 2022. In the sixth round of commercial coal auctions, Union Coal Ministry has put up 141 mines for auction in 11 states, with a cumulative peak rate (PRC) of 305 million tonnes.
10. India's first floating financial literacy camp was organized recently by India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). India's First Floating Financial Literacy Camp was conducted as part of the launch of the initiative called "Niveshak Didi" in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar. It was conducted among local residents around the famous Dal Lake in Srinagar.
11. The Central Government has established a high-level panel to strengthen the assessment and accreditation of higher educational institutions. The committee will be chaired by K. Radhakrishnan, chairperson, Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur. The Committee aims to strengthen the assessment and accreditation processes of Higher Education Institutes in India.
12. The book titled 'All About Municipal Bond' includes Vadodara Municipal Corporation's successful listing of municipal bond as a case study. The Vadodara Municipal Bond received overwhelming response from investors. The bond issue was oversubscribed by around 10 times of the issue size with a total bids worth Rs. 1,007 crore from 33 interested investors.
13. Indian black honeybee discovered in the Western Ghats. A new endemic species of honeybee, christened Indian black honeybee (Apis karinjodian), was discovered in the Western Ghats. Its habitat ranges from the central Western Ghats and Nilgiris to the southern Western Ghats, spanning the states of Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu.
14. Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2023 Toolkit was launched at the Technical Session on "Rural WASH Partnerships - the way forward". Technical Session on "Rural WASH Partnerships - the way forward" was organized on the second day of the 7th India Water Week. It was organized by the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), which comes under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
15. Nagaland hosted the first edition of the Tokhu Emong Bird Count (TEBC) from 4th to 7th November 2022. Tokhu Emong Bird Count (TEBC) is a four day documentation event that sought to list birds in Nagaland. The event was held on the occasion of Tokhu Emong, a post-harvest festival of the Lotha Nagas.
16. Rajasthan state government released the Handicraft Policy 2022 recently. The Handicraft Policy 2022 seeks to harness the full potential of local handicraft industry and promote new jobs. It will boost investments for the promotion of cultural heritage and revival of traditional arts and crafts.
17. The fourth edition of the 'Innovations for You' coffee table book was launched recently by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog. 'Innovations For You' is a Coffee Table Book series feature success stories of startups that are supported through the 3 flagship programmes implemented under the Atal Innovation Mission - Atal Incubation Centres, Atal Community Innovation Centres and Atal New India Challenges.
18. The Indian Government recently completed the Mother Tongue Survey of India (MTSI) project. The Mother Tongue Survey of India (MTSI) project is implemented by the Central Government to conduct surveys of mother tongues that are returned consistently across 2 or more Census decades. It also records the linguistic features of select languages.
19. The state government of Kerala launched the Technology Transfer Scheme recently. Technology Transfer Scheme will be implemented via the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM). The ultimate goal of the scheme is to encourage startups to innovate their ideas by minimising the cost involved.
20. Citizen Perception Survey 2022 is being conducted from 9th November to 23rd December. The Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) is conducted as part of the Ease of Living Index. The purpose of the CPS is to directly capture the perception of citizens regarding the quality of life in their cities.
21. The Central Government recently released the framework for the proposed sovereign Green Bond. Green bonds are financial instruments that generate proceeds for the investments in environmentally-suitable and climate friendly projects. These instruments have lower capital cost than regular bonds.
22. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched the "Transport 4 All Challenge" Stage-2 recently. The "Transport 4 All Challenge" is an initiative implemented by the Union Urban Affairs Ministry to ease the mobility experience of Indian citizens. The challenge seeks to promote digital innovation in formal as well as informal public transportation.
23. The Union Cabinet recently approved the Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels in India, 2022, which replaces those that have been operational since 2011. The recent changes were taken due to the technological advancements over the years. The guidelines were first introduced by the Indian Government in 2005.
24. The Union Ministry of Commerce, via its apex agricultural export promotion body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), has formulated a plan to promote millet export from India from December 2022. Promotion of participation of exporters, farmers and traders in 16 international trade expos and Buyer Seller Meets (BSMs)
25. The Odisha Government and TATA Steel Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the Jaga Mission across 5 municipal corporations in the state. The state government of Odisha launched the Jaga Mission in 2017. Also known as the Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission, it is the world's largest slum titling and upgradation initiative.
26. The Indian Government designated National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as the implementing agency for setting up fodder-centric FPOs. Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying proposed the setting up of fodder-centric FPOs in 2020 to address the fodder deficit situation in India. During 2020 - 23, 100 of these FPOs will be set up by NDDB under this scheme.
27. The Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary was notified recently by the state government of Tamil Nadu. The state government had earlier notified Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary, Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary, Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary and Dugong Conservation Reserve. An area in the reserve forests of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri have been notified as the Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary.
28. Union Minister of state for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh recently dedicated Indian Biological Data Center (IBDC) to the nation. The Indian Biological Data Center is India's first national repository for life science data. It will store all life science data generated from publicly funded research in the country.
29. Mumbai sold the highest number of electoral bonds since the scheme was launched five years ago. In terms of numbers and value, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad sold the most electoral bonds since the scheme was introduced in 2018. A total of some Rs. 10,700 crore worth of electoral bonds were sold to the political parties since the scheme's launch.
30. The Central Government notified websites and applications related to the decennial Census exercise and the National Population Register (NPR) as "protected system" or "Critical Information Infrastructure" under the IT Act. Any data, database, IT network or communication infrastructure can be declared as critical information infrastructure to secure the digital asset.
31. The Indian Government issued notification on E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, which will come to effect from next financial year. The new rules will come to effect from 1st April 2023. Under the new rules, the number of items that have been categorized as E-Waste has been increased from 21 to 106.
32. The 3rd Ministerial "No Money for Terror" Conference will set to be held on 18th and 19th November this year in New Delhi, India. The Ministerial No Money for Terror (NMFT) Conference aims to create platform for international discussions on countering terror financing. The conference includes discussions on technical, legal, regulatory and cooperative aspects of the terrorism financing.
33. The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the project titled "History of Indian Science and Technology". Similar project will be launched by the ICHR to trace the economic history of India. The ICHR will also launch another project in collaboration with the AYUSH Ministry to trace India's contributions in the field of medicine.
34. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is going to develop India's first multi-modal logistics park (MMLP) near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had awarded RIL the contract to set up India's first multi-modal logistics park (MMLP) close to Chennai. The total concession period for the project is 45 years.
35. India is set to launch Vikram-S on 15th November from Indian Space Research Organisation's launchpad at Sriharikota - an island in Andhra Pradesh. Vikram-S, a single stage sub-orbital launch vehicle, is India's first privately developed rocket. It was developed by a Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace.
36. The Central Government amended the Aadhaar regulations requiring card holders to update relevant documents supporting Aadhaar information at least once every 10 years. The amendment of the Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations require updation of supporting documents of Aadhaar information at least once every 10 years from the date of enrolment.
37. India's national grid operator Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO) was renamed as Grid Controller of India Limited. The Grid Controller of India Limited (Grid-India) is a wholly owned central government enterprise that comes under the aegis of the Ministry of Power. It was set up in March 2009 to take care of the power management functions of the PGCIL.
38. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released a regulatory framework for the online bond platform providers (OBPPs) to streamline their operations. OBPPs are companies that are incorporated in India. The new framework requires them to be registered as stock brokers in the debt segment of the stock exchange.
39. The 46th edition of the Wangala Festival commenced on 10th November this year. Wangala Festival is a popular festival of the Garo community in Meghalaya. It is also known as a 100 drums festival. It is a harvest festival that honors the Garo tribe's main deity, Saljong - the Sun god of fertility. The celebrations of this festival mark the start of the winter season and the end of the period of toil.
40. Chief Minister of Assam recently released the theme song for 400th birth anniversary celebration of the Lachit Barphukan. Lachit Barphukan, born on 24th November 1622, was a commander and Bophukan (councillor) in the Ahom Kingdom, which reigned present-day Assam for over 600 years while successfully resisting the Mughal Empire.
41. The Karnataka Research Development and Innovation Policy was released during the inaugural session of the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS 22). The Karnataka Research Development and Innovation Policy aims ensure cooperation between industry and science as well as innovative startups. It directs the government entities to earmark budget for research and innovation activities.
42. The Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act is set to be implemented by the state government of Madhya Pradesh to prevent the exploitation of the tribal population. The formal announcement of the Act's implementation was made on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (15th November). PESA Act aims to ensure self-governance via the traditional gram sabhas for people living in Scheduled Areas in the country.
43. The fourth phase of the Digital Shakti Campaign was launched recently by National Commission for Women (NCW). The Digital Shakti Campaign is a national level campaign that was launched in 2018 to digitally empower and skill women and girls to ensure their safety in cyberspace. Through this initiative, over 3 lakh women across India have been made aware of cyber safety measures, reporting and redressal mechanisms, data privacy and technology usage.
44. UK - India Young Professionals Scheme was announced by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the G20 Summit that was held in Bali, Indonesia. The UK - India Young Professionals Scheme will provide Indians places to work in the United Kingdom for up to two years. It will benefit 3,000 degree holding Indians aged 18 to 30 years.
45. Baliyatra made it into the Guinness World Record for making 22,000 paper boats in 35 minutes. The Guinness Record was created to raise global awareness about Cuttack's Baliyatra. Baliyatra literally means "voyage to Bali", it is one of India's largest open-air fairs. The origin of the nine day festival can be traced back to more than a thousand years.
46. 18th November marks the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Rezang La. In 1962, the Charlie Company (C Company) of the 13th battalion of the Kumaon Regiment fought against the Chinese attack at the Rezang La Pass in Ladakh. The C Company, led by Major. Shaitan Singh, had 117 soldiers, of these 110 were martyred during this battle.
47. On 21st November this year, India is set to take over the chair of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) for 2022 - 23. The Global Partnership in Artificial Intelligence was launched on 15th June 2020. Its objective is to fill the gap between theory and practice on artificial intelligence by promoting cutting-edge research and related activities.
48. India's first National Centre of Excellence for Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) was announced by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. National Centre of Excellence for Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) is a major initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to provide sustainable solutions for the shipping sector.
49. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Kameng hydropower project to the nation. The 600 MW Kameng hydropower project was developed by the state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). Stretching across more than 80 km, this project was developed at the cost of some Rs. 8,200 crore.
50. The Nyingma sect, (one of the oldest Buddhist sects) identified a boy from Himachal Pradesh's Spiti as the reincarnation of the late Taklung Setrung Rinpoche. Taklung Setrung Rinpoche was a famous scholar known for his expertise in Tibetan Tantric School. He was the Supreme Head of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism.
51. The 25th National Conference on e-Governance will be organized on 26th and 27th November this year. 25th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) will be held in Katra - a city in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The theme for this year's NCeG is "Bringing Citizens, Industry and Government Closer".
52. The Karmayogi Prarambh Module was launched by Prime Minister Modi recently for all those who were appointed under the Rojgar Mela. The Karmayogi Prarambh module is an initiative under the Mission Karmayogi. It is an online orientation course for the new recruits of various government departments.
53. The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has issued a working paper titled "Why India does poorly on global perception indices: Case study of three opinion-based indices". It was written by economists Sanjeev Sanyal and Aakanksha Arora. India's ranking is declining on several global opinion-based indices because of serious issues with the methodology used by them.
54. The FSSAI recently released a new draft of Genetically Modified (GM) Food regulations for public consultation. This comes at a time when the issue concerning the genetically modified (GM) mustard is under the spotlight. The new draft is different from the old version that was released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in November 2021.
55. The 3rd Global High-Level Conference on Anti-Microbial Resistance is being organized in Muscat, Oman from 24th to 25th November this year. The 2022 conference's theme is "The AMR: from Policy to One Health Action". It provides an opportunity for dialogue on One Health action to address the issue of antimicrobial resistance.
56. The on-going conflict between Bangladeshi security forces and the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) triggered an influx of refugees from the Kuki-Chin community to the Indian state of Mizoram. The Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) is the armed wing of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) - a separatist group that was established in 2008 to create a separate state in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Southern Bangladesh.
57. India has invited Egypt President Fattah al-Sisi as the chief guest on 2023 Republic Day. This makes al-Sisi the first Republic Day Chief Guest after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who hails from city of el-Gamaliya and raised in an alleyway close to the Jewish quarter of Cairo's old city, is a devout Muslim.
58. 'Ikshak' was launched on 26th November in Chennai. The vessel was set sail in the Bay of Bengal at a Launch Ceremony. Ikshak is the third of the four survey vessels built under the Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) Project for the Indian Navy. It was built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd in partnership with the Larsen and Toubro (L&T).
59. Nai Chetana Campaign was launched by the Central Government on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25th November). Nai Chetana is a gender campaign launched in all Indian states under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission. The campaign will help women identify violence meted out to them due to the normalization of gender-based discrimination and violence.
International
1. Russia recently pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Deal, which was launched to mitigate food inflation caused by conflict in Ukraine. The Black Sea Grain Initiative was an agreement between Russia and Ukraine with Turkey and the United Nations. It sought to create a safe passage of food grains exported from Ukraine, which is currently in war with Russia.
2. On 1st November 2022, the SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to send US military satellites into space. Falcon Heavy is a partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by the American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX. The first-ever launch of the Falcon Heavy Rocket happened on 6th February 2018.
3. The UN's nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently initiated investigations on Russia's allegations accusing Ukraine of producing dirty bombs. Dirty bomb is a conventional explosive device laced with toxic materials. Unlike a nuclear weapon, it does not cause atomic explosion.
4. The world's longest passenger train was operationalized in Switzerland during the 175th anniversary of Swiss Railways. The passenger train is 1.9 km long, having 100 coaches. It travelled 15.5 miles from the Albula Tunnel in Preda to the Landwasser Viaduct, at the outskirts of Filisur.
5. Permacrisis is Collins Dictionary's "Word of the Year" for 2022. Permacrisis, which became Britain's word of the year for 2022, is a term that describes the extended period of instability and insecurity. The Latin form of the name Charles, signifying the current British monarch's reign.
6. Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) was launched at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27). The Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) is an intergovernmental alliance that seeks to expand and hasten the progress towards the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems. Its members include the UAE, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Japan, and Spain.
7. The International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA) was launched on 7th November during the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). Spain and Senegal jointly launched the IDRA to promote cooperation to increase preparedness against future droughts.
8. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recently released the Executive Action Plan of Early Warnings for All. The Executive Action Plan of Early Warnings for All was released during a roundtable meeting at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It aims to develop a global early warning system for extreme weather events that have been intensified because of climate change.
9. Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund was announced by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) at the India Pavilion of COP27. Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (IRAF) is a multi-partner trust fund set up by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). The fund will be managed by the United Nation Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (UN MPTFO) in New York.
10. Saudi Arabia recently committed 2.5 billion USD to the Middle East Green Initiative. It aims to reduce carbon emissions in the region by more than 60%, more than 670 million tons of carbon equivalent. This plan includes increasing green cover by planting over 50 billion trees across the Middle East and restoring 200 million hectares of degraded land.
11. Bangladesh and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) finalized the preliminary deal for a 4.5 billion USD loan. Under the preliminary deal, the IMF provisionally agreed to provide a 4.5 billion USD support programme to Bangladesh. It will help act as a buffer for the Bangladesh's net foreign currency reserves that are currently being stressed because of the surging commodity prices and the economic uncertainty caused by the Ukraine war.
12. The Pakistan Government is planning to implement an interest-free banking system in the country from 2027 under the Islamic law. The concept of interest free banking system is derived from the Islamic form of banking. It operates based on ethical standards and prevents Muslims from paying or receiving any kind of interest.
13. India's Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy was launched by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change at the COP27. The 2015 Paris Agreement requires all parties to create a long-term low greenhouse gas emissions development strategies (LT-LEDS) based on their various responsibilities and capabilities as per the different national-level circumstances.
14. The 2022 G20 Bali summit is set to be held on 15th and 16th November this year. The 2022 summit is especially important for India since it will be taking over the G20 presidency from Indonesia from 1st December 2022. It will host the next summit on September 2023.
15. The ASEAN members agreed in principle to admit East Timor as the 11th member of the bloc. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional bloc founded on 8th August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand. Its member states are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. East Timor was added as a new member of this regional grouping.
16. A bilateral agreement worth 74.5 million USD was signed by Britain and France to boost their efforts to curb illegal migration from the English Channel crossings. The agreement, worth $74.5 million (72.2 million euros), aims to stop migrants crossing the Channel to England in small boats. It calls for a 40% increase in the number of French officers patrolling the French beaches in 2022 - 23 with British funding over the next 5 months.
17. Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) was launched at the G20 Summit's side event Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII). Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) is a long-term political agreement between the Indonesian Government and International Partners Group (IPG), with the US and Japan as joint leads, along with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the European Union, Canada, Italy, Norway and Denmark.
18. The Global Shield Against Climate Risks initiative was launched on 14th November 2022 by the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) countries and G7 countries. While V20 countries represent 58 countries that are vulnerable to climate change, the G7 represent seven of the world's most industrialized countries. It is a social protection and insurance-based finance mechanism for loss and damage outside the UNFCCC process.
19. Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK is responsible for the bombing that killed six people and injured several dozen on Istiklal Avenue in Turkiye's Istanbul. The attack is said to have been ordered from Kobani - a majority Kurdish city in northern Syria bordering Turkey. The Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) was founded by the Marxist revolutionary Abdullah Ocalan in 1978 to create an independent Kurdistan.
20. The World Health Organization has released guidelines to improve the survival of small (under 2.5 kg) and premature (before 37 weeks of pregnancy). Preterm infants can be saved using practical and affordable solutions like high-quality prenatal, postpartum and postnatal care, prevention and treatment of common infections, kangaroo mother care and exclusive breastfeeding.
21. The United Nations designated 15th November 2022 as the Day of Eight Billion. According to the World Population Prospects Report, 2022, the global population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15th November 2022. This population milestone was reached in only 11 years after passing the 7 billion milestone.
22. On 9th November, France ended the decade long Operation Barkhane in Africa. This comes amid the deteriorating ties between France and countries in the Sahel - Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea - following a series of military coups. France launched Operation Serval in January 2013 in the Sahel in North Africa, the operation was limited to countering Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaeda, who have taken up control of northern Mali.
23. Four African countries recently backed the Food and Agricultural Organziation's (FAO) Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA). With this, the number of signatories to the PSMA has risen to 100. The Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) is the first internationally binding instrument that specifically aims to prevent and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by denying port access to foreign vessels that are engaged in or supporting such practices.
24. Franca Ma-ih Sulem Yong won the 2022 edition of the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize. The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence is conferred every two years by UNESCO. The award was created based on the ideals of UNESCO's Constitution, which states that "peace if it is not to fail, must be founded on the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind".
25. The joint military exercise - Keen Sword 23 - is being held from 10th to 19th November this year. Exercise Keen Sword is a joint and bilateral field training exercise between the US military and the Japan Self-Defence Force. It is held once in two years to boost the preparedness and interoperability between the military personnel of Japan and the United States.
26. The US Senate recently passed the Respect for Marriage Bill. The US Respect for Marriage Bill aims to repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require the states to recognize all legal marriages regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. The bill also allows the Justice Department to enforce civil actions and establish a private action for violation.
27. India opposed the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture that sought to minimize greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector. The Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA) is a special decision under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that aims to recognize the unique potential of the agriculture sector in addressing the climate change.
28. On 17th November the World Health Organization unveiled a new strategy to combat antimalarial drug resistance in Africa. It was launched during the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week - the annual international campaign that raises awareness about antibiotic resistance. Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are currently the best available treatment to counter uncomplicated P falciparum malaria.
29. The report titled "Who is Financing Fossil Fuel Expansion in Africa?" was released at the COP27. Some of the organizations that wrote the report include Urgewald, Oilwatch Africa, and Africa Coal Network. Some 200 companies are currently exploring or developing new fossil fuel reserves or infrastructure in 48 of the 55 African countries.
30. The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved Tzield - the first drug to delay the onset of Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic medical condition in which the pancreas produces little to no insulin. It was formerly known as insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes.
31. The United Nation's COP27 climate summit recently approved the creation of the "Loss and Damage" Fund to compensate economically vulnerable countries for the damages caused by climate-linked disasters. The Loss and Damage Fund is a special fund established to provide compensation to vulnerable countries for the damages they suffered because of global warming. Its aim is to unlock a greater ambition to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
32. An Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform (MSPP) was set up on 18th November this year to mark the start of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW). The Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Multi-stakeholder Partnership Platform (MSPP) was launched jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organization for Animal Health.
33. The Australian Parliament recently approved the free trade agreement with India. In India, such agreements require approval from the Union Cabinet. The Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) was signed by the two countries on 2nd April 2022. This free trade agreement eases trade between India and Australia by reducing customs duties, regulatory laws, subsidies and quotas on products under import-export.
34. The FTX - one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges - collapsed. Its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried's fortune fell from nearly 16 billion USD to zero within days after his company filed bankruptcy protection in the United States on 11th November. In the short-term, the FTX collapsed because of the FTT - a token issued by the company and promised to buy them back using a portion of its profits.
35. Eighteen countries have come together to form the 'Ambition on Melting Ice on Sea-level Rise and Mountain Water Resources' group. Eighteen countries, led by two polar and mountain nations of Chile and Iceland, came together to form a new high-level group 'Ambition on Melting Ice on Sea-level Rise and Mountain Water Resources'. Its purpose is to increase the understanding of the impact of cryosphere loss on the mountainous regions, polar regions and the overall planet.
36. The on-going conflict between Bangladeshi security forces and the Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) triggered an influx of refugees from the Kuki-Chin community to the Indian state of Mizoram. The Kuki-Chin National Army (KNA) is the armed wing of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) - a separatist group that was established in 2008 to create a separate state in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Southern Bangladesh.
37. India's proposal to increase the protection of Leith's softshell turtle was approved at the 19th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which is being held in Panama City from 14th to 25th November. Leith's softshell turtle is a large freshwater soft-shelled turtle that is endemic to peninsular India.
38. The 3rd Global High-Level Conference on Anti-Microbial Resistance is being organized in Muscat, Oman from 24th to 25th November this year. The 3rd Global High-Level Conference on Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) aims to accelerate countermeasures for antimicrobial resistance at the national, regional and global levels and boost international cooperation in this issue.
39. India has decided to send a utility helicopter unit to the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Bangladesh and Pakistan will each send an armed helicopter unit to this operation. The Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is a United Nations peacekeeping mission that was set up in 2013 by the UNSC to stabilize the western African country after the 2012 Tuareg rebellion.
40. The Ecuadorian Constitutional Court had halted the Panantza-San Carlos mining project in a ruling that favored an indigenous community's rights to choose which activities can happen on their territories. The Panantza-San Carlos copper mining project is an open pit mine spanning 38,548 hectares of land in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon.
41. The State of the Climate Report for Australia was released on 23rd November 2022. It is a biennial report released by Australia's national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Bureau of Meteorology. It provides insights into the continent's current and future climates. The report was released weeks after a record heavy rainfall caused by La Nina resulted in widespread inundation in the eastern part of Australia.
42. On 24th November veteran opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was appointed as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia by King Sultan Abdullah and sworn in. His appointment concludes the five-day political impasse caused after no party managed to secure a majority to form the government for the first time since the independence in 1957. Anwar Ibrahim is a veteran politician in Malaysia who started his political career as a student activist.
43. The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2022 concluded on 25th November with the endorsement of the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto on AMR by several countries at the Third Global High-level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The theme for the conference was "The AMR Pandemic: From Policy to One Health Action". The Manifesto aims to revamp and effectively implement the National Action Plans (NAP) for AMR.
44. Two volcanoes in the Kamchatka Peninsula erupted recently. They are among the six volcanoes in the northeastern part of Russia that are currently showing signs of increased activity. The Kamchatka Peninsula is part of the "Ring of Fire" - a region along the path of the Pacific Ocean that is characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.
45. In a major hurdle to Africa's rhino conservation efforts, CITES COP19 has recently accepted the proposal to downgrade the status of southern white rhinos from Appendix I to Appendix II. A proposal by Namibia and Botswana to transfer the southern white rhinos from Appendix I to Appendix II allows the trade of live animals for conservation purposes and hunting trophies only.
46. The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution to develop an international tax cooperation framework or instrument based on a UN intergovernmental process. Nigeria submitted this resolution on behalf of a consortium of 54 African countries. The proposed framework is expected to benefit developing countries in Africa and Asia since they are provided with a larger say on the formulation of global tax regulations.
Defence
1. The report titled 'Reinvigorating India's Economic Engagements with Southern Africa' was released on 1st November by the India Exim Bank at the event "CII-Exim Bank Regional Conclave on India - Southern Africa Growth Partnership" held in Johannesburg. India has emerged as the top defence exporter to Africa. It may fulfil the continent's maritime, aerospace and defence needs in the future.
2. Exercise Sea Vigil-22 was organized by the Indian Navy on 15th and 16th November this year. This is the third edition of the Pan-India coastal defence exercise. The previous edition was held in January 2021.
3. Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2022 will be held from 23rd to 25th November this year. The Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) is the apex international conference organized by the Indian Navy every year. The aim of this annual dialogue is to assess the opportunities and challenges that emerge within the Indo-Pacific.
4. The eighth edition of the Garuda Shakti Exercise commenced on 21st November 2022. The Garuda Shakti Exercise is a bilateral joint special force exercise between India and Indonesia. This joint military exercise is being organized as part of the bilateral defence cooperation between Indonesia and India.
5. The Austra Hind 22 exercise commenced recently in Rajasthan. It is being held after the 26th edition of the quadrilateral maritime drill Exercise Malabar was concluded off the coast of Japan in early November 2022. The Austra Hind 22 is a bilateral training exercise between the Indian Army and the Australian Army.
Business, Economy & Banking
1. The Pakistan Government is planning to implement an interest-free banking system in the country from 2027 under the Islamic law. The concept of interest free banking system is derived from the Islamic form of banking. It operates based on ethical standards and prevents Muslims from paying or receiving any kind of interest.
2. BHIM App open-source license model was announced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Under the BHIM App open-source license model, regulated entities in the UPI ecosystem can get license for accessing source code of the BHIM app. New features that will be included in the application in the future can also be accessed by these licensees.
3. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has released a regulatory framework for the online bond platform providers (OBPPs) to streamline their operations. Online bond platform is defined as any electronic system on which listed debt securities are offered or transacted. An individual who provides or operates such a platform is called as the online bond platform provider.
Science & Technology
1. An image of coronal holes was shared by NASA recently. Coronal holes are regions on the Sun's surface where the fast solar winds are spurted out into the outer space. Coronal holes are critical for understanding the space environment surrounding the Earth, where space technologies and astronauts travel.
2. Indian scientists have developed the country's first Overhauser Magnetometer, an instrument that helps lower the cost of sensing experiments used in geomagnetic sampling. A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used for measuring the strength and direction of the magnetic field. It has various applications like geophysical surveys to look for iron deposits, exploration for shipwrecks, etc.
3. Union Minister of state for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh recently dedicated Indian Biological Data Center (IBDC) to the nation. The Indian Biological Data Center is India's first national repository for life science data. It will store all life science data generated from publicly funded research in the country.
4. India is set to launch Vikram-S on November 15 from Indian Space Research Organisation's launchpad at Sriharikota - an island in Andhra Pradesh. Vikram-S, a single stage sub-orbital launch vehicle, is India's first privately developed rocket. It was developed by a Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace.
5. The Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) was launched at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) is a satellite-based system that enables governments to detect methane emissions and take measures to address them.
6. The tech giant Google is currently developing an AI model that supports 1,000 most spoken languages of the world. AI language models aims to minimise the dependence on human labour for fields such as translation, customer service or computation. They automate manual processes and generate new insights based on the existing data.
7. Artemis 1 was successfully launched by NASA on 16th November 2022. Artemis 1 is the first integrated flight test of NASA's Deep Space Exploration Systems - the six-person Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. It has 24 cameras - 8 on the SLS rocket and 16 on the Orion spacecraft.
8. New species of tardigrade named Macrobiotus naginae was discovered by researchers at Finland's Rokua National Park. Tardigrades are tiny and highly resilient creatures that are capable of withstanding a variety of threats, including those that are capable of wiping out the majority of known species.
9. A study published in the Lancet journal found that bacterial infections were the second leading cause of death globally. The research was conducted under the Global Burden of Disease 2019 and Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) studies framework. This study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
10. A new species of giant tree named Lophopetalum tanahgambut was discovered in Indonesia. The new species belongs to the genus Lophopetalum in cosmopolitan family Celastraceae. The new species is found to grow up to 40 meters tall, it has a diameter-at-breast-height (dbh) of up to 1.05 meters.
11. ISRO successfully made the 200th consecutive launch of the multipurpose sounding rocket RH200 from Thiruvananthapuram's Thumba coast. RH200, which is capable of climbing to a height of 70 km, is a two-stage multipurpose sounding rocket capable of carrying scientific payloads into space.
12. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has succeeded in placing nine satellites in multiple orbits using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C54). Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-06) and 8 nanosatellites were launched during this mission. The nanosatellites are the Nano Satellite-2 for Bhutan (INS-2B), Anand, Astrocast (four satellites) and two Thybolt satellites.
13. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that mpox is currently the preferred name for monkeypox. Monkeypox was named in 1970 - more than 10 years after the virus that causes the disease was discovered in captive monkeys. The monkeypox virus is currently found several other animals apart from monkeys.
14. Researchers from IISER-Thiruvananthapuram and IIT-Indore have jointly developed an artificial light-harvesting system that will help capture solar energy. Scientists have a novel artificial light-capturing system that imitates the process of photosynthesis to effectively capture light to conserve power.
15. Chennai-based space tech startup Agnikul Cosmos recently opened India's first private launchpad and mission control centre at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It was inaugurated on 28th November by ISRO chairman S Somanath. The inauguration took place just days after the launch of India's first privately developed rocket Vikram-S.
Government Schemes
1. India Infrastructure Project Development Fund Scheme (IIPDF) was notified by the Indian Government on 3rd November 2022. The India Infrastructure Project Development Fund Scheme (IIPDF) was launched by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). This will help effectively implement bankable viable PPP projects that seek to modernize infrastructure in India.
2. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy announced recently that the National Bio Energy Programme will be implemented until 2025 - 26. The National Bioenergy Programme aims to promote bioenergy usage and create an investor-friendly ecosystem based on the circular economy. Bioenergy is derived from once-living organic materials called biomass that are used for producing transportation fuels, heat, electricity and other such products.
3. The Indian Government's Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund committed Rs. 5,000 crore in a year. Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund is Rs. 10,000 crore fund launched by the Indian Government. It is a SEBI-registered category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) that was launched by the Indian Government to provide growth capital to MSME Sector.
4. Report of Expert Committee on SVAMITVA Scheme was released at the National Conference on SVAMITVA Scheme and Rural Planning, which was organized on 3rd November 2022 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The Expert Committee chaired by former secretary of India B. K. Agarwal was formed in February 2022. The committee aims to promote transparency in the implementation of SVAMITVA scheme.
5. The Electoral Bond Scheme has been amended by the Indian Government. The Union Finance Ministry issued a notification amending the Electoral Bonds Scheme to allow the sale of electoral bonds for extra 15 days in the year of general elections to the Legislative Assembly of States and UTs with legislature. The notification allows the Central Government to open additional one-week window for issuing electoral bond starting from 9th November 2022.
6. The Bihar Government is set to launch the Har Ghar Gangajal project to deliver water from Ganga river to the dry areas in the state that do not lie along the course of the river. It will be launched as part of the state government's Jal, Jeevan, Hariyali scheme. The first phase of the project will be implemented with an outlay of Rs. 4,000 crore.
7. The Nirogi Haryana scheme was launched recently in Haryana. The Nirogi Haryana Project was launched to provide comprehensive free health check-ups and required medical treatment to beneficiary families.
Awards & Honours
1. The Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary was notified recently by the state government of Tamil Nadu. The state government had earlier notified Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary, Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary, Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary and Dugong Conservation Reserve.
2. The 14th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is being co-hosted by Wuhan (China) and Geneva (Switzerland) from 5th to 13th November 2022. During the event, the Wuhan Declaration was adopted and a report on Ramsar sites was released. The report called on the countries to assess these wetlands again to obtain the latest information.
3. Black-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon was rediscovered after 140 years. Before the recent rediscovery, Black-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon was first and last seen in 1882. It is a large, terrestrial pigeon having black and orange feathers and red eyes, the species is endemic to Fergusson Island in Papua New Guinea.
4. The state government of Tamil Nadu recently issued a notification declaring Madurai district's Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages as the state's first biodiversity heritage site. Arittapatti village is known for its ecological and historical significance. It hosts some 250 bird species, including three important raptors (birds of prey) - the Laggar Falcon, the Shaheen Falcon and Bonelli's Eagle.
5. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has developed a Continuous Marine Water Quality Monitoring Station (CMWQMS) and launched Electric Environmental Monitoring Vehicle (EV). It will be used alongside the electric monitoring vehicle (used for monitoring air quality) to regulate the quality of the environment surrounding the Jawaharlal Nehru Port.
6. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya restoration project in Mumbai received this year's Award of Excellence in UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya was established in 1922 as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India. It is part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai World Heritage property in India.
Sports
1. India is set to host the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championship. IBA Women's World Boxing Championship is the biennial amateur boxing competition organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA). Along with the Olympic boxing programme, it is the highest level of competition for boxing.
References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com
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